The Angel and the Slayer
by TheOneAndOnlyT87
Summary: The story of the love between Isaac and Mia, told in a series of conversations between the two and their friends. [Chapter 16: So... what happens now?]
1. Isaac and Mia: Angelic Compassion

If this is the first time you've read one of my stories, then hi there! I'm TheOneAndOnlyT, and this is my first foray into the world of Golden Sun. I've been lurking around this section for a long, long time, trying to come up with a good idea for a Mudshipping story, and I think I've finally found one. So thanks for reading this story (I always love new readers!) and I hope you'll like it.

If you have read some of my stuff before, well, it took me three months, but I'm back! And I suppose you must be wondering what the heck I'm doing in the Golden Sun section instead of the Fire Emblem one, especially with the recent release of Path of Radiance. Well, to be honest, I really have no idea why I decided to write this... it just came to me. In any case, I hope you'll like it.

So here we go! Read on and enjoy.

_**chapter one**  
Isaac and Mia  
**angelic compassion  
**_

"I'm just...not sure _how_ I feel about her anymore," the blond boy sighed, absently playing with the yellow scarf around his neck and gazing forlornly into the small stream at his reflection. He hesitated slightly before continuing, taking a few moments to convince himself that the girl beside him would not laugh at what he said next. "I really don't know what to do... I mean, I used to think I was in _love_ with her, you know?"

"Mm," the cerulean-haired girl sitting next to him agreed, also gazing into the stream but focusing on the boy's reflection rather than hers. "Well, Isaac," she added after a moment's silence, her voice gentle and understanding, just as the blond boy had hoped it would sound, "I don't have much experience when it comes to things like this, but it may be... that you were not actually in love with her to begin with." She fidgeted uncomfortably with her pale blue dress, normally hidden under heavy robes but now uncovered due to the heat. "I... really don't know, though..."

"Do you think so, though?" the boy known as Isaac responded, turning to look at the girl beside him. She in turn looked up at him, and as the two pairs of crystal-blue eyes met, Isaac was filled with a strange sense of peace, as though he could tell this girl anything.

It was... nice, to say the least. Garet and Ivan were his close friends, and he would trust them with his life, but his personal secrets were another matter. There was no way Garet could take any sort of conversation about this topic seriously and Ivan... well, for some reason Isaac was convinced that Ivan was too young to understand. Mia, though...

Their eyes were locked for only a moment before Mia looked at the ground, picking a blade of grass out of the earth. "A-as I said," she mumbled hesitantly, "I really don't know. I mean..." Her gaze turned back to the stream, which sparkled incessantly in the light of the setting sun. "You've never really told me much about... Jenna, right?"

"Yeah," Isaac replied, scratching the spiky, dirty-blond hair on his head. There was another moment of hesitation before he slowly asked, looking directly at the girl beside him and chuckling nervously, "Do you, um... _want_... me to tell you about her?"

Mia turned her head towards him, a small, awkward smile on her lips. "Well, um... if you don't mind, that is." The smile grew slightly.

It might have been due to the simple fact that she was female, but somehow the Mercury Adept struck Isaac as much more compassionate and understanding than his other two companions. Even though she had only been traveling with him for about two months, already Isaac felt a strange, invisible bond with her, as though he had known her forever and could trust her completely. It was almost like... well, he didn't even know how to describe it. In any case, though, she was a very nice girl to be around and to talk to, and he was very glad to have met her.

He chuckled again. "Okay... well..." he mumbled, before looking back into the stream, as though the words to describe his childhood friend were hidden in the water. In a way, he did find them there, as a glance at the cerulean-haired girl's reflection gave him an idea: "She's like... the exact opposite of you." He smiled.

"Oh?" Mia grinned, cocking her head interestedly at him. "What makes you say that?"

"Lots of things," the blue-eyed boy replied, his teeth now visible in his smile. "She's a Mars Adept, for starters, but it's not just that..." His gaze turned to the sky as he reminisced. "She's a tomboy really... she's rather loud, and she gets angry _really_ quickly... but she can be a really nice girl if she wants to be." He chuckled. "That isn't very often, though."

Mia giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "She does sound rather... unlike me," she remarked. "Do you think...that maybe you merely had some sort of crush on her? I mean..." She bit her lip. "Well... I don't know."

"Maybe," Isaac replied, gazing back into the stream, his smile fading slightly. "I mean... when I first left Vale, this whole quest was all about finding and saving Jenna. It was like... like I was in those stories I read as a kid, where the hero goes and saves his damsel in distress, you know?"

"I know what you mean," the cerulean-haired girl replied, smiling warmly at the boy beside her. "I mean, I'm a girl, but you'd have to be pretty ignorant to not know that for most boys, a chance at an adventure like that would be a dream come true."

"Yeah." Isaac turned to her, smiling slightly, and as their eyes met he was once again filled with that strange sensation that he could say anything to this girl. "And it was like that for the first few weeks, you know? I was on this big adventure, slaying monsters and racing to find the people who had kidnapped my 'one true love.'" He had to chuckle at that, and Mia did, too. "I don't know, though..." He again began fiddling with the yellow scarf around his neck. "I guess it must've... changed, somewhere along the line."

"How so?" Mia asked, her crystal-blue eyes wide and curious.

"I think it might've happened around when I met you," Isaac replied without missing a beat. Seeing the faint blush and the look of surprise on the cerulean-haired girl's face, however, he hastily added, "No, no, I don't mean it was _because_ I met you! I'm just saying it happened around that time."

"Oh," Mia mumbled, giggling nervously, though her blush deepened a bit. "Sorry, I just... I was being stupid. What were you saying?"

Isaac blushed faintly then as well, having recognized why Mia found his words embarrassing, and he glanced around nervously for a moment before hesitantly beginning to speak again. "Well, um... I don't know. I guess...seeing her at Mercury Lighthouse was what made me really realize it." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, looking at the ground. "It was like... well, I mean, I was definitely _worried_ for her, but..." Unable to think of a suitable explanation, he trailed off.

Fortunately, Mia didn't mind. "It's okay... I think I understand," she replied, with a small smile. "You didn't feel the same for her anymore?"

"I...guess so," Isaac responded slowly. He again had to look directly into Mia's crystal-blue eyes in order to convince himself that she would not laugh at what he was about to say. "This..." he began hesitantly, "...this is going to sound rather stupid, but... it used to be that just seeing her gave me this..." He had to look away; he was blushing too hard. "It gave me this really weird feeling. Like... it was like I _had_ to be near her, and I _had_ to talk with her."

He felt a hand rest softly on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Mia smiling serenely at him. Oddly, her smile seemed to comfort him, seemed to make his embarrassment dissipate as if it were never there. "Isaac," she said softly, "that's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think everyone has felt something like that at some point in their lives." Her smile widened slightly. "What you're describing definitely sounds like a simple crush to me."

"You think so?" Isaac asked, cocking his head slightly.

"I do," the cerulean-haired girl responded, a nervous chuckle escaping her. Looking back at the sparkling stream, she added awkwardly, "I, er... know from personal experience." Despite what she had just told him, Mia still blushed very faintly at those words.

The blond boy noticed this and pounced, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I thought it was nothing to be embarrassed about," he remarked playfully. Absently, he noticed that the girl's hand had dropped from his shoulder, but he paid it little mind.

Mia looked rather helpless. "Well, no, it's not, but... I..." She suddenly let out a giggle. "Okay... maybe it is." Smiling, she again looked at him, directly into his eyes. The blue-eyed boy found himself unable to think of anything to say for a moment, but it didn't make much difference, because Mia continued, her smile slowly becoming an expression of concern, "But... why has this been bothering you so much?"

Isaac's smile faded as well, melting into a more serious expression. "I... don't know," he responded after a few moments, softly. "A... lot of reasons, I guess." His gaze fell to the ground.

"Like what?" the cerulean-haired girl asked, her eyes wide and curious. It took her only a split-second to hastily add, "I mean... if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, but..."

"No, it's okay," Isaac remarked, turning to the girl beside him and smiling, fondly. "You're listening, so..." He left the sentence unfinished, partly because he couldn't think of anything to follow those words, but the general message was clear: she cared. And he was willing to talk to her, because he knew she did.

Mia didn't reply, but she seemed to understand. She simply blushed prettily, giving the blond boy a smile just as warm as his.

"A-... anyway," Isaac awkwardly said after a few moments, his smile fading as he tore his gaze away from the Mercury Adept's crystal-blue eyes, "I... I don't know why it was _this_, but... realizing I didn't feel that way about Jenna anymore made me start to wonder..." He frowned uncertainly. "It made me wonder if I could... really go through with this whole thing."

Mia blinked, at a loss for words. And Isaac couldn't really blame her, because he knew what she was thinking: his thoughts weren't right. He was supposed to be the strong, fearless leader, the one dedicated to completing his quest. And the leader wasn't supposed to have doubts like this.

"I-... Isaac..." she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. The Venus Adept turned to her, and was surprised to find that her expression was not filled with the shock or confusion he had been expecting. Instead, to his astonishment, her eyes overflowed with compassion and understanding. Her very expression seemed to soothe him; he instantly knew there was nobody else who would have had the same reaction to his words. "Do you... not want to finish... this?" she asked slowly, carefully, though Isaac could tell she hadn't asked because she didn't believe what he had just said, or because she was convinced he had to see his journey through to the end. She merely wanted to know.

"It's not that I don't want to," he replied just as softly, and he could have sworn that the corners of Mia's mouth had twitched upwards, very slightly, at those words. "I do. I still want to stop Saturos and Menardi. I still want to... save Jenna." He smiled slightly, fondly. "But... it's not because I love her or anything like that anymore. It's because..." His smile widened. "It's because she's my friend, and I know that she would go to the same lengths to help me out if I was ever in trouble."

It seemed that Mia couldn't help but smile back. Encouraged by her reaction, Isaac kept going, though his smile faded—the words he was about to utter were nothing to smile about by any means.

"That's... not the problem, though," he continued, staring at the grass beneath him. "It's just that... it was different when Garet and I first started this journey. It seemed like this whole thing would be... well, _easy._"

"Why was that?" Mia asked, cocking her head curiously, and Isaac was suddenly struck by how interested the Mercury Adept was in his troubles. He didn't know why he hadn't noticed it until then, but... she really wanted to know more about what bothered him, to help him out in any way she could. She wasn't simply listening to him. She really... _cared_ about him, about his problems.

Because of that thought, the blond boy found himself momentarily speechless.

"I-... Isaac?" The blue-haired girl's voice, laced with a tinge of concern, broke him out of his reverie. His crystal-blue eyes met hers, and for some reason he didn't fully understand, he immediately blushed scarlet.

"S-sorry," he mumbled abashedly, gazing again into the stream, unable to look at the wonderful, compassionate girl beside him. "I-I was... thinking."

There was a short pause, before Mia responded, quietly, "Don't worry... it's fine." He felt her hand rest softly on his shoulder for the second time and slowly, he looked up. The small smile on her face was filled with such understanding that he thought he might melt. _Nobody_ had ever listened to him like this before.

"Mia..." he murmured. There was something he was dying to tell her, something he had to say. He hadn't wanted to bring it up, had wanted to merely skirt around the issue, but that smile, that wonderful smile of hers let him know that he could say it, that she would understand.

And so, looking at the ground, he swallowed and whispered, "I-I'm... scared, Mia."

For several seconds there was no response from the girl. And Isaac was instantly filled with terror, wondering if perhaps the Mercury Adept was not as understanding as he had once thought. But when he hesitantly looked up at her, she was still smiling that small, strange, peaceful smile. She said nothing, but her eyes begged him to continue, to let everything out to her.

And knowing she would listen, Isaac did just that. His words, the words he had been holding within himself for the past month and a half, were suddenly flying out in a rush. "Look at me," he said, his voice pained. "I'm supposed to be some sort of 'chosen one.' I'm supposed to be the one who'll save the world." The fear was pouring out of him, fear of the terrible burden he was forced to bear even though he knew he could not. "But I'm no hero. I'm no knight, no psynergy master. I'm just a seventeen-year-old boy who happens to be okay with a sword." He frowned. "When Garet and I started this journey, the monsters were so weak that that was enough, we had no trouble. But everything we face keeps getting stronger and stronger, this journey keeps getting harder and harder and I—" He bit his lip, looking away from the girl beside him, who was still listening to him silently, intently. "What if I'm... not strong enough to beat Saturos and Menardi? Or not even them, what if... what if some monster is too strong for me, and... and _everything_ I've done so far has been for nothing?" He turned again to Mia, his expression fearful, but she continued to stare silently at him with that wonderfully understanding expression. "I-I don't..." he whispered, "I don't want that to happen. I don't want to fail; I-I don't... I don't want to die, Mia..."

"Isaac..." Mia finally responded, softly. He was expecting her to say something more, but nothing else came. Instead, what she did next took him completely by surprise: she wrapped her arms around him and drew him into a tight embrace. His eyes immediately snapped open in shock, though it was not because he was uncomfortable with her hugging him. In fact, after pouring his troubles out to her as he had, Isaac couldn't think of any gesture that would be more comforting. Slowly, very slowly, he returned the embrace, so incredibly thankful to the heavens for allowing him to meet such a compassionate girl.

"It's okay," he heard her murmur. It was, perhaps, not the best thing she could have said, but because it was coupled with the fact that she had listened patiently to everything that he had said to her, he couldn't help but believe her words to be true.

"Mia..." he murmured in response, unable to think of anything else to say.

"It's..." She drew away from him, hesitantly, as though part of her did not want to let go. "It's perfectly okay to be afraid, Isaac. I think me, and Garet, and Ivan... we're all afraid of the same thing, too."

"You...think so?" Isaac asked, curious. Somehow, the thought that he was not alone in his fears seemed to make his own easier to bear. But was that really how his companions felt?

"Well..." Mia said softly, her crystal-blue eyes flicking away from his for an instant before returning, "I-I know I am, at least a little..."

Isaac immediately decided that the uncomfortable expression on the Mercury Adept's face did not suit her. "Mia..." he repeated, but once again he found himself at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? He had been expecting words of comfort from the girl, but now all of a sudden their roles had been reversed.

Mia's discomfort, however, seemed to vanish as quickly as it had come, melting into that compassionate smile Isaac was slowly growing to love. "But the thing is," she said softly, "I try to put it out of my mind as best I can. After all, the chance that things will... turn out badly... is always there, whether I'm thinking about it or not."

"You're... saying I should just forget about it?" the Venus Adept asked slowly. He didn't think that would be possible.

"No, no," Mia responded, though she continued to smile slightly at him with infinite patience. Seeming to read his mind, she added, "I don't think it's possible to forget about it, really. But..." She stared at him for a moment, and then her smile widened. "I know I don't really have to worry about getting seriously hurt in battle... because I have three friends who would do anything to protect me. And... you do too, Isaac." She paused for a moment, seeming to think about something, before she reached out and placed her hand on Isaac's shoulder for the third time, still smiling warmly. "You don't have to worry... because the last thing I—we would _ever_ let happen... is to let our leader fall."

What was it about this girl that left him speechless so easily? Isaac found himself unable to do anything but stare at the girl beside him silently, his mind an utter blank.

Had her words come from Ivan, or Garet, even though the latter had known him for what seemed like forever... he didn't know if he would have believed them. But Mia... Perhaps it was because she spoke with such confidence, or because of that wonderful smile that seemed to push all his troubles away... but he couldn't help but accept her words as the truth. Something in the way she spoke let him know that she—and his other friends, though they didn't seem to matter quite as much at the moment—really _would_ protect him, that he really _would_ see to live the end of this journey... because of her.

He wanted to say something to her, anything that could show her how grateful he was to her for soothing his doubts, but no words he could think of seemed to express that feeling fully. Mia's smile seemed to have entranced him... She looked so utterly _beautiful_, smiling like that, and Isaac felt a strange feeling stir within him, an emotion he had once thought only Jenna could ever make him feel—

"So _here's_ where you two lovebirds have gotten off to..."

Isaac's daze was broken instantly.

It was Garet who had spoken. Under any other circumstance Isaac could easily recognize his childhood friend's voice, but at that moment his brain didn't seem to process that fact. All he knew was that something had interrupted his conversation with Mia. All he felt was a sudden, inexplicable rush of anger. It was not simply annoyance—Garet seemed to call him and Mia "lovebirds" on a daily basis, so he was used to being annoyed—but a very real, burning rage.

He whirled towards the source of the voice, only to find the tall, red-haired Mars Adept staring at him with a mischievous smirk plastered across his face. "Am I interrupting something?" Garet added slyly, seeming to smirk ever more widely at the sight of Isaac's wrathful expression. "I'll leave if you want me to..."

The sudden rush of anger intensified sharply. Isaac didn't even recognize at whom he was looking; all he wanted to do was throw the strongest psynergy he could at the person who had come between him and this... angel...

He never got a chance to do anything, though, as before he could move a muscle, a large blob of pure water appeared out of thin air over Garet's head and fell, drenching him completely.

As quickly as it had appeared, Isaac's anger was gone, fading into memory. He didn't think about it at all. He just took one look at the soaking-wet Garet and laughed out loud.

Garet's sly grin also vanished instantly. He directed a glare at the Mercury Adept beside Isaac, snapping sarcastically, "Well _that_ was certainly considerate of you, Mia! Now I'm going to have to change." The effect was lost, however, because despite his angry expression, a small smile was also on the Mars Adept's face, one that silently seemed to admit _okay, I deserved that._

"Well, you deserved it," came Mia's reply, along with several failed attempts at stifling giggles. Isaac turned to her, and couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked with a mischievous expression on her face. As Garet stomped back towards the fire that indicated the group's small campsite, she caught his eye and grinned back.

And for a moment, neither said a word. They just smiled at each other.

It was only for a moment, though, because Mia soon got up, stretching after sitting down for so long. "Well," she remarked, "we should probably head back to camp; Ivan's probably done preparing dinner and we've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah," Isaac agreed, "looks like we'll finally reach Kalay tomorrow." He got up as well, though he was filled with an odd feeling of discontent—he still hadn't thanked Mia properly for listening to everything he had poured out to her. "Mia?" he called, as the girl in question began making her way towards the campsite.

"Hm?" The Mercury Adept turned around, her eyebrows arched in curiosity.

Isaac's response was slow in coming. "Um... thanks," he said softly, awkwardly, his eyes falling to the ground. "For... listening to me." Somehow he thought that his words didn't quite cut it, that they didn't fully express just how grateful he was to her, but it was the best he could do. "I... I've been wanting to talk to someone about this for awhile now, but—"

"You didn't think Garet and Ivan would have understood?" Mia finished for him, taking the words right out of his mouth. Isaac stared at her, which only caused Mia to smile warmly. "You're welcome, Isaac," she said softly, taking a step towards him. "And if... you ever need someone to talk to..." Her smile widened. "... I'll always be here."

And with that, she turned and left, leaving Isaac alone with his thoughts until she turned around and called to him to hurry up.

* * *

I hope this chapter has done a sufficient job in setting the background up. However, while Isaac no longer feels anything for Jenna, that doesn't mean she won't be an important player in the story. You'll just have to see what role she plays later... ;) 

While this chapter's conversation took place between Isaac and Mia, not every chapter's conversation is going to include the two of them—some might include only one of them, and others might not include either. So if you're looking for a whole bunch of romantic moments between Isaac and Mia, you're not really going to get that. Well, actually, you will, just not ONLY that. Other characters will make _several_ appearances.

But in any case, what do you guys think of my first Golden Sun story? Do you like it? Is everyone in character? Please don't hesitate to point out any problems you see, because I want to make this story the best it can be.

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	2. Mia and Ivan: Private Thoughts

Yeah, so... this chapter took quite a while. I wish I had an excuse for this, but I can't even blame college for this huge of a delay. I've just been a lazy bum. Sorry, people. :(

It is nice to see that my first Golden Sun fic got well received, though. :) I've sent out review responses to all of the signed reviewers from last chapter, but thanks to fanfiction's new rule I can no longer reply to anonymous reviews. So if you have a question for me or just want your review to get a reply, please leave me a signed review, 'k?

I just hope it's not against the rules to thank _Lemurian04, Me aka moi_, _Kodoku_, _Insanity Team! (A.k.a. Violet)_, _Midnight Moon_, _aaron_, and a nameless user for reviewing, seeing as how I can't send you guys replies.

In any case, here we go with chapter 2.

_**chapter two**  
Mia and Ivan  
**private thoughts**_

Mia never felt more at peace than when she was surrounded by her natural element. When she had lived in Imil, there had been no better way for her to relax after a stressful day than to soak herself in a nice, long, hot bath. There was something about the feeling of immersing herself completely in the very liquid she controlled that soothed her more than anything else could.

She wished it were not the case, but unfortunately, there was no way for her to run herself a bath on the ship to Tolbi. It didn't really matter, however, as looking over the railing of the ship and seeing nothing but water in every direction seemed to have the same relaxing effect. The sun shone down from the cloudless sky and created dazzling sparkles in the great lake that captivated her completely.

It certainly was a nice change of pace from the rest of her journey with her three companions.

It was also the first time she had really gotten the chance to think about anything besides their quest.

Mia was, by nature, a rather calm and reflective girl, but since she had left Imil her thoughts had always been centered on the adventure that she had been caught up in. It was difficult to think about anything else when she constantly had to focus on where the group was going, what they had to do next, and most importantly, tending to her friends' injuries. But now, with none of her friends needing her immediate attention and with nothing to do but wait until the boat reached its destination—which would take several days at the least—she found it much easier for her mind to wander to other things.

As she leaned over the railing of the ship, the blue-haired girl's thoughts lazily drifted from topic to topic without any real direction or intent. She went through many of them—what Isaac's friend Jenna might be like, how Megan and Justin were doing back home, her conversation with Isaac from a few days prior—before her mind finally settled on a subject that required more thought than just idle daydreaming: her three companions.

But for the first time in a long while, she didn't think about whether she needed to tend to their injuries; rather, she just watched the water and thought about who her friends really were: what they were like, and how she had grown to be such close friends with them.

There was Ivan, the quiet Jupiter Adept. The short blond boy was the youngest of her three friends, and it showed, as he could be quite mischievous at times, but when the situation called for it he was by far the most serious person in the group. Mia had spoken with him when she had been able to during their journey, but from the few conversations she had had with him alone she had gotten the impression that he preferred to listen rather than talk. She knew well that he could read minds, and it unnerved her slightly because he had a tendency to intently keep eye contact with whomever it was he was talking to, but she liked to think that he wouldn't go so far as to invade her privacy like that. He was a good friend, after all, as well as a spectacular mage.

Then there was Garet, the loud, brash Mars Adept. Standing nearly a foot taller than her, with hair and clothing that seemed to match his element, Garet could be quite the intimidating figure when provoked. She was fortunate, then, that he rarely was truly angry—he tended to get annoyed at little things, but he had a rather laid-back attitude about life in general. He was always the one she could turn to when the seriousness of their quest got to her; he had a remarkable ability to crack a joke and lighten the mood whenever he felt that Mia and her other friends were too quiet. It wasn't that he didn't take their journey seriously, though... that was just the way he was. He was trustworthy and loyal as well as the fiercest fighter of the group, and Mia liked having him around, because she knew that without him the journey would be nearly unbearable for her.

And finally... there was Isaac, the Venus Adept. Mia couldn't help but smile slightly as visions of the blond boy entered her mind—she had to admit, he _was_ rather handsome. With hair that seemed to defy gravity (she had tried to comb it herself once after Isaac had told her it never stayed down, and had failed miserably, much to the amusement of the three boys) and a yellow scarf that he wore at all times for some unknown reason, Isaac didn't exactly fit Mia's picture of a knight who would eventually save the world. But he was a brilliant leader, always the one to think calmly and rationally about how to proceed when the group was caught in a difficult situation. And though Isaac seemed to doubt his own abilities—thoughts of their recent conversation started appearing in her head—Mia knew that he was an excellent fighter, and by far the best in the group at combining swordsmanship and psynergy effectively.

But as she thought about him, even though there was nobody else around, she could feel a slight blush creeping up her cheeks, and she knew well why: this was not the first time she had thought about Isaac in the past few days by a long shot. Their conversation had caused her to do a few things that had seemed perfectly right at the time but later had made her feel rather embarrassed, most notably her impulsive decision to hug him out of the blue. And though she didn't want to admit it, after thinking about it for a few days she was finally starting to understand why exactly she had had such odd impulses.

She liked him.

He was a nice person, that was for sure. He had a strong sense of justice and was always going out of his way to help others, he was intelligent and resourceful, he was—she blushed a bit deeper—pretty attractive... all perfectly good reasons why she would like him. But Mia knew what had really made her start thinking about him in such a way was their conversation from a few days prior. The fact that Isaac had trusted _her_ of all people with such a serious issue, something that he hadn't even wanted to tell his lifelong friend about... well, it had made her feel... special, to say the least. And she... really liked that feeling.

It was just... it didn't seem right, her mind protested, as it had been doing recently whenever she thought about the Venus Adept. After all, she had barely known him for two months, and what with their quest, this wasn't exactly the best place for romance...

But Mia knew that there was no point in trying to fight it. _Who am I kidding, anyway,_ she thought with a small smile and a blush as she stared down at the sparkling lake. _I'm falling for him..._

"Hey, Mia!"

The voice from behind her, coupled with a pair of hands suddenly grabbing her shoulders, nearly sent her over the railing. She whirled around with a surprised yelp, cerulean hair whipping through the air, and found herself face-to-face with a certain Jupiter Adept who was grinning like a maniac.

"Goodness, Ivan!" Mia exclaimed, unconsciously clutching the fabric of her dress—she had given up her heavy robe long ago thanks to the group's traveling farther and farther south. "Do you _have_ to startle me like that?"

The short boy shrugged, still grinning. "Sorry," he replied. "Couldn't resist."

Mia allowed herself a deep breath to calm herself down before she responded. "You _really_ have to stop doing that; you know I don't like being snuck up on," she said, traces of an exasperated smile appearing on her face despite her annoyance at Ivan's antics. Though Ivan clearly knew that she hated being surprised like that, it had never stopped him from scaring the living daylights out of her whenever he got the chance. He seemed to derive a great deal of amusement from making her heart nearly jump out of her chest.

Ivan's grin only grew wider at her remark. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," he replied with a roll of his eyes—she had told him this several times. "But I do this to everyone when I get the opportunity," he added with a chuckle. "You just give me a lot more than Isaac and Garet."

Mia put her hands on her hips, her expression one of mock indignation as Ivan settled into place beside her, leaning over the railing of the ship. It was true that Ivan did like to sneak up on and scare everyone in the group, but Mia wasn't about to allow Ivan to get away with a comment like that. "Oh, so it's _my_ fault now?" she demanded, a playful smile crossing her features.

Ivan shrugged again. "Well, in a way, yeah," he answered without missing a beat, grinning up at her. "You make it so easy for me, it's impossible for me to _not_ surprise you."

Mia took a breath, ready to counter Ivan's words with a witty retort of her own, but it turned into a sigh of defeat as she realized she didn't have one. "I just can't win with you, can I," she remarked instead, shaking her head as she turned back to the great lake. Ivan didn't respond, apparently content with his victory, so she simply continued staring at the water, which was still glittering just as brightly and was still just as mesmerizing.

Ivan didn't seem to have come to talk, so in the resulting silence Mia found herself rapidly losing herself in her thoughts about a certain Venus Adept again. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, as daydreaming made it difficult to keep track of time, but it was at least several minutes before the Jupiter Adept beside her broke the silence by asking, as casual as could be, "So, you really like Isaac, huh?"

It took a few moments for Mia's drifting mind to process exactly what Ivan had asked. Unfortunately for her, her mouth was answering his question before her brain realized how personal it really was, and she managed to get out a wistful "Well, I..." before the full brunt of the words hit her and she froze, her mouth still open slightly. A second later, she was staring wide-eyed at a very mischievous-looking Jupiter Adept. "Did you just...?" she began, but she didn't finish the question. No... he wouldn't do such a thing, would he? He was her friend!

Ivan's mischievous expression slowly started to melt away, turning into something that looked more like guilt—apparently he hadn't expected such a reaction from her. "Mia?" he asked, tentatively. "Are you... all right?"

She had to know. "Y-you just... read my mind, didn't you," she sputtered out, her words more a statement than a question. She didn't want to believe it, but... would he really do that to her?

Ivan looked guiltier by the second, now seeming to regret what he had done. "I... yeah, I... I did," he answered softly, his gaze falling to the deck of the ship. He seemed as though he wanted to say something more, but couldn't find the words; instead, he just kept staring at his feet, not wanting to look at her.

Mia was also speechless. She felt as though she had just been violated somehow—her thoughts were her own, after all, and she hated the idea of having this privacy, which she had had since birth, suddenly invaded. It wasn't even the fact that he had caught her thinking about Isaac that made her angry; nobody was supposed to know _any_ of her inner thoughts! What gave Ivan the right to read the mind of whomever he wished, anyway? This wasn't right!

"I'm... sorry, Mia," Ivan said softly after several moments of awkward silence, and he truly looked it. He still wasn't looking at her. "I-I didn't think you'd be so upset..."

"Didn't think I'd be so upset!" Mia exclaimed, suddenly furious. "Ivan, my thoughts are supposed to be _private_! Did you think I would _like_ having my mind read? Especially when I'm thinking about..." Then, without warning, her anger was gone as quickly as it had come, and she was left with only an intense feeling of embarrassment. She debated for a moment about finishing her sentence, but she figured there was no point in trying to deny it; Ivan already knew what was in her thoughts. "... About Isaac..." she finished, her voice suddenly very small.

Ivan, to his credit, looked as guilty as Mia had ever seen him, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of remorse for exploding at him like that. "I'm... sorry," he repeated, still looking at his feet—he really didn't want to face her. "I-I didn't mean to make you angry. I didn't think that... you'd be so upset if I read your mind."

Mia frowned. Why would he ever think that? "I-I think anyone would be angry if they knew their mind was being read, Ivan," she responded quietly.

Ivan gave a slow shrug, finally looking up at her. "Nobody seems to have any problem with me reading anyone else's mind," he remarked.

"Yes, but that's because..." Mia began, then decided against continuing her sentence; that was a philosophical debate for another time. "Oh, never mind that," she said, frowning again. "It's just... well, we're supposed to be friends, Ivan. I always thought that you'd... respect my privacy, because of that."

Ivan nodded, still seeming rather displeased with what he had just done. "I... I understand," he replied. "But, like I said... I didn't mean to make you upset."

"Then what _did_ you mean to do?" Mia demanded, suddenly angry again. "How did you _think_ I would react?" Ivan, however, seemed almost fearful of her wrath, and as she stared him down she could feel her anger diminishing once again. He was her friend, after all, and it seemed he genuinely had not wanted to make her angry... "I-I'm sorry, Ivan," she added awkwardly. She was going to add more, but the blond boy interrupted her.

"No, it's okay," Ivan said, looking even more displeased with himself than before. "You have a right to be angry at me. I'm... sorry."

Mia sighed heavily, now more angry at herself than at the blond boy in front of her. "Ivan..." she said softly, "if... if you really didn't mean to make me upset, then..." A tiny smile made its way onto her face, if only to ease Ivan's guilt. "I forgive you. Just..."

"I know," Ivan interrupted, with a tiny smile to match hers. "If... it makes you feel any better, I can promise you that I'll never read your mind again."

Mia's smile grew slightly. "Thank you, Ivan," she replied softly. "But..." Her smile faded slowly; she could feel her cheeks warm up as she remembered Ivan's initial question. "Why _did_ you want to... read my mind?"

Ivan chuckled nervously, grinning slightly. "Well... I'm, uh... sure you know that Garet and I, well..." He chuckled again. "We think that you and Isaac would make quite the couple."

Mia could feel herself burn scarlet. "I-Is that what this is about?" she asked softly. Granted, Garet and Ivan (though it was mostly Garet) did constantly make jokes about her and the Venus Adept being "lovebirds" and "sweethearts" and whatnot, but she had always thought that they were just that—jokes—and had begun to ignore them as time wore on. Did they actually seriously think that...

"Well, um... yeah," Ivan responded, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. "We, er... we wanted to know if you... well, actually liked Isaac."

Mia could no longer bear to look at Ivan; it was too embarrassing. Ordinarily she would've denied such a claim without a second thought, but there was no point in doing so now—Ivan already knew what she thought of the Venus Adept. Unconsciously and uncomfortably clutching her dress, her gaze dropped to her feet, and she said, very quietly, "You could've just... _asked_ me."

"I could have," Ivan replied matter-of-factly, "but... you would've just said no." Mia did have to admit that he had a point; she would never admit something like that so freely! "That was why I decided to... well, you know..."

An uncomfortable silence descended on the two Adepts at those words, neither of them able to think of anything to say. Mia, for her part, didn't want the conversation to continue; she was already embarrassed enough and any further comments from Ivan would probably make her feel even more humiliated. After a few moments, however, the Jupiter Adept softly asked, "Mia?"

Mia was still staring at her feet, her face bright red, but the sound of her name caused her to look up. "Yes?" she asked.

"You really do like Isaac, don't you?"

Mia could feel her face go a shade redder, if that was possible. But what was she supposed to say? She couldn't just answer no; Ivan already knew that she had some sort of feelings for Isaac. She debated responding at all for a few moments, finally decided that there was no harm in doing so, and softly, meekly replied, "I... guess you could say that..."

She wasn't about to say that she loved Isaac or anything like that, because she didn't, but there was some sort of affection for Isaac growing inside her that she couldn't deny. It wasn't love—there was no way she could have a feeling that strong for any boy in such a short time—but it was something that went beyond friendship, even if only a little.

"Y-you're not... going to tell Isaac, are you?" she asked after another moment, her voice still very small. She didn't think she could bear the embarrassment if he found out.

"Not if you don't want me to," Ivan replied, smiling slightly, and Mia let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Garet and I were just... well, curious, that's all," he added, his smile widening. "We wanted to know if..." He chuckled. "We wanted to know if there was a _point_ to all these comments we've been making."

"I... suppose I can't blame you for that..." Mia replied softly, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards slightly despite the fact that her face was still burning red. "But please..."

"We won't tell Isaac." Ivan took the words right out of her mouth, still smiling. "Don't worry."

"Thank you..." Mia softly, shyly responded. There wasn't much that could be said after that, so the two Adepts lapsed into another silence. This one was much more comfortable than the first, though.

It was a few moments before the silence was broken by Ivan. "Well," he remarked with a smile, "I'm gonna head back inside."

Mia could feel her smile fade slightly as a pang of embarrassment crossed her heart. "You're... going to go talk to Garet about this, aren't you..." she said slowly.

Ivan's smile suddenly seemed a lot more mischievous. "Maybe," was all he said in reply. Then he turned and headed back to the door that lead to the lower decks.

And with a sigh, Mia turned back to the water, which was still sparkling just as brightly. As she let herself relax, a certain Venus Adept entered her thoughts once again. She wished she could tell exactly how she felt about him... she knew that she didn't quite _love_ him, at least not yet, but she liked him, that was for sure... Smiling slightly to herself, she decided that there was no point in worrying about it. She knew that she had some sort of affection for Isaac, and she was willing to wait and allow it to grow or diminish with time before she made up her mind about what to do.

Still, no matter how she felt about him, he _was_ rather handsome...

* * *

One of the things that I really went for while writing this story was creating a real sense of camaraderie between the characters. During the game we see little actual interaction between the four Adepts outside of what is necessary to their quest, but I believe that a journey such as this would bring these four teenagers closer to each other than they have ever been to anyone else. Isaac, Garet, Ivan and Mia are more than just simple companions—they're very close friends, and I really wanted to capture that in their conversations. 

Still, the second half of this chapter has me a little unsure of myself. Normally I try to base what my characters say off some sort of similar situation that I can see happening in real life. With the whole mind read thing, however, all of that goes out the window. Since that situation can't happen, I can't decide whether or not that part of the conversation is believable. But then again, that's what you reviewers are here for. Please tell me what you think.

Anyway...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	3. Isaac, Garet and Mia: Friendly Banter

Well, this is a better update rate, eh? In order to counter my lazy bum-ness, I've decided that I'm going to give you guys a schedule for when the each update comes out. The reason for this is that if you guys are expecting an update by a certain time and you don't get it, then I'll have disappointed my readers, and I certainly don't want that. :) This, I think, will give me a lot more motivation to get writing.

So, here's my idea: I will try to get every chapter out within three weeks of the one before it. Naturally, since I'm in college, some things might come up in those three weeks, so while I will _attempt_ to get each chapter out in that time, the _absolute_ latest that I will post a chapter will be four weeks after the one before it. If I haven't gotten the chapter out by then, then feel free to spam the hell out of my inbox with angry PMs and e-mails. I'll either respond with a very good reason for my delay or apologize profusely, depending on the circumstances. The only time that this will change is when I know something big is coming up (like finals), but I'll tell you guys about anything like that beforehand. Hope this will help. :)

I haven't sent out review replies yet, though. I'd do them now, but it's 2:30 AM and I want to get this chapter out tonight. However, you guys can expect replies tomorrow, aside from _crisiscore_, _Kodoku_, _Insanity Team! (A.K.A Violet)_ (ack! I can't believe I missed your review when I first posted this) and _tonotsay_, whom I have to thank here. In the meantime, hope chapter 3 will tide you over...

_**chapter three**  
Isaac, Garet and Mia  
**friendly banter**_

Mia, Garet and Ivan were the greatest friends that Isaac had ever had, and though their journey was perilous, he couldn't help but feel as though he would never forget the times and experiences that they had and would share. Already there were dozens of little moments from their time together etched into his memory that he knew would never leave: the four of them laughing and telling stories around a campfire; him, Mia and Ivan jumping into a sparkling river to cool off at the end of a long day of traveling while Garet grumbled about not liking swimming; the four of them banding together to overcome every monster and obstacle that stood in their way. The Venus Adept very much enjoyed being with them and would do anything in the world to help them when they were in trouble, and he knew well that they would do the same for him.

In fact, for some strange reason, even though he desperately wanted to stop Saturos and Menardi and end the threat to Weyard, Isaac sometimes found himself wishing, when things were relatively peaceful and he was laughing with his friends, that his journey would never end. He knew that once their adventure was complete, he and his friends would all have to go their separate ways and go back to living normally, but even though Garet would still be around Isaac knew life wouldn't be the same without Ivan's constant pranks and Mia's pretty smile that never failed to put him at ease. He loved simply having his friends around, and he couldn't think of any time when he had been unhappy with their presence.

Still, he reasoned as he lay back on his bed, trying his best to ignore the ship's rocking, it was nice having some occasional time to himself to think about things.

Today, however, said things didn't seem to include much besides a certain crystal-blue-eyed, azure-haired girl.

No matter where his mind wandered, Isaac could only go so far without Mia's pretty face and demure smile intercepting and consuming his thoughts. If he thought about catching up to and stopping Saturos and Menardi, he found himself wondering and worrying if Mia would be able to survive the inevitable fight with them. If he reminisced about the many experiences he had shared with his friends, the image of Mia smiling and laughing seemed to stand out in his memory to the point where Garet and Ivan might as well have not been there. If he thought about just about anything related to his journey, somehow his conversation with the healer from a few days prior kept forcing its way into his mind.

Even trying to focus on something else in the room didn't help. Focusing on the rocking of the ship was out of the question, as it had already made Isaac nauseous enough to land him in bed for the day. Aside from that, the ship's bedrooms could easily have been described as large wooden boxes; aside from the small window and the two surprisingly comfortable beds inside them, that was exactly what they were. Illuminated only by the sunlight from outside, the room was certainly unlike the rooms at the many inns Isaac and his friends had stayed at; while the inns tried to make all of their rooms look as comfortable and homey as possible, the ship's rooms only contained the bare essentials—two beds. Other than that, the only things that were in the room were the possessions of its owners: Isaac's longsword and bag, which were underneath his bed and invisible from his position, and... Mia's slender staff, which leaned against the other bed, as well as her blue bag where she kept her various healing herbs and potions.

Isaac had to admit, the circumstances by which he had ended up staying in the same tent and room as Mia were interesting indeed. With only two tents and with two rooms at an inn being a lot cheaper than three, the three boys of the group had decided when Mia had joined them to all try cramming into one tent in order to give the lone girl her... privacy, or whatever she needed. After a few nights of rather intense discomfort, however, they had decided that it simply wasn't practical for three people to sleep in one of their small tents, and had brought the issue to Mia's attention. She had reluctantly agreed to allow one of the boys to stay in her tent on the obvious condition that they had to leave if she was changing or doing anything that she didn't want the boys to see, and vice versa. From that night on, the four of them ended up switching sleeping arrangements every night, just as the three boys had done before Mia joined them.

This worked fine for a while, though Ivan decided after one night of staying in the same tent as Mia that he was just uncomfortable sleeping only a few feet away from a member of the opposite sex, which the others had accepted without a second thought. Mia, in fact, grew so used to this arrangement that by the time the group reached an inn, where the three boys could easily fit into one two-bed room by having one of them sleep on the floor, she had decided that it was okay for one of the boys to use the other bed in her room. Garet had been that boy on that night, and he had promptly ruined his chance at sleeping in a comfortable bed by walking right in on Mia while she was changing. And though Garet had protested to this very day that he had walked in on her by accident, since that incident Mia had only felt comfortable allowing Isaac to stay with her, which created the sleeping arrangement that the four of them now regarded as the norm: Isaac and Mia in one tent or room, and Garet and Ivan in the other.

Isaac found his eyes and thoughts lingering on Mia's staff and travel bag, and he quickly rolled away so that his head was facing the wall. It wasn't as though thinking about her was a bad thing, but still... whenever he started thinking about the gentle healer from Imil—and it happened often—he found that it was hard to stop. She had a shy, quiet nature about her that both intrigued and attracted him; ever since they had met he had felt an odd desire to know more about her. And as he spent more time with her, as he talked with, laughed with, and fought alongside her, as her shyness slowly melted away and Isaac got to know her as she really was, Isaac had slowly begun to realize that there was an affection for her growing inside him.

He liked her.

The one thing that he absolutely could not deny about Mia was the fact that she was a very pretty girl. But Isaac knew that he liked her for more than just her looks; she was gentle, demure, and more compassionate and understanding than any other girl he had ever met. He supposed that he had been attracted to her for quite a while without knowing it, perhaps even from the moment he had met her. He had just needed some sort of trigger—like, perhaps, his conversation with the healer from a few days prior—to make him realize the sort of feelings that he held for the girl. The fact that she had listened to him so patiently and cared so much about his problems and insecurities, well... it was really nice to know that someone cared about him as much as she did, and their conversation had, quite simply, made his respect and affection for her grow to the point where he realized he no longer thought of Mia as just a close friend.

There were only two problems with this, Isaac reasoned as he settled his head back on his pillow.

The first was that ever since he had realized how he felt about the azure-haired girl, Isaac had started to get a strange, nervous feeling when she was around—somewhat like how he had once felt around Jenna, and yet different, too. He wanted Mia to like him back, after all, but it felt as though when she was nearby, every little thing he did affected how she felt about him. When he was with her, he found himself constantly fearing that perhaps he would say something stupid or do something foolish that would make her think less of him. And yet despite that, he found that he enjoyed being with her, _wanted_ to be with her, no matter how nervous he was. It was an odd feeling, one that he had simply given up on understanding.

The second problem was that when—if—Garet and Ivan found out that he liked her, they were going to go _nuts_.

The Venus Adept had barely thought this when he heard a knock on the door. "Hey, Isaac, you still asleep in there?" came Garet's loud voice from beyond it.

"No, you can come in," Isaac called back, thankful for the distraction, as he sat up in the bed. "Though," he added with a smirk as his childhood friend opened the door, "if I _was_ that probably would've woken me up."

"Yeah, well," the tall Mars Adept shrugged as he sat down on the bed beside Isaac, "you've slept enough for today, don't you think?" He smirked playfully. "It's almost sunset," he added with a nod to the room's window. "I envy you."

"Why, 'cause I got to take your job as lazy oaf of the group for the day?" Isaac retorted, grinning, and promptly had to dodge out of the way of a playful punch to the arm. "Hey," he added in his defense, "this isn't _all_ fun, you know. You saw me this morning; I felt like _crap_."

"Yeah, I know," Garet responded with a grin to match Isaac's. "But if all you're going to do is insult me, I might as well have not come down here to see how you were doing." He feigned a hurt expression, putting a hand to his heart. "It really hurts me hard here when you do that, Isaac," he remarked jokingly, apparently trying his best to make it sound like he was going to cry.

The only sympathy he received from Isaac, however, was a laugh and a pillow to the face.

When he thought about it, Isaac had to admit that his relationship with the Mars Adept was certainly a strange one. Having known him for as long as he could remember, Isaac was the best of friends with Garet. He could trust him with just about anything, and Isaac knew that his friend was always watching his back. Yet despite that, hardly a day passed where the two of them could not be found slinging playful insults at each other. Isaac didn't know how or when that ritual had started, but he knew it was a sign of his friendship with the Mars Adept—if Garet _didn't_ feel like insulting him, something was usually wrong. Mia and Ivan had come to ignore their insults with a smile—though they participated in the insult-slinging from time to time, often they seemed to enjoy simply watching the two childhood friends go at it.

"Hey! What was that for!" Garet exclaimed, though he was laughing along with Isaac. A vengeful glint suddenly in his eyes, he grinned maliciously and said, "Ooh, you're gonna get it for that one." Without warning, he then dashed over to Mia's bed, grabbed her pillow, and ran back and started whacking Isaac with it repeatedly.

"Hey! Hey!" Isaac choked out between laughs, throwing up his hands to protect himself as Garet continued to mercilessly pound him with the pillow. "Not cool! I can't even get up here!"

"Yeah, well, you asked for it," Garet responded with a smile as he stopped and his laughter began to die down. Tossing the pillow he was holding so that it landed back on the unoccupied bed, he turned back to Isaac with a slightly less amused expression and asked, "So how _are_ you feeling, man? I mean, that _is_ why I came down here."

Isaac shrugged, laying back. "Okay, I guess." He still felt a little sick, but compared to how nauseous he had been that morning, he was feeling a lot better. Mia's healing magic really did the trick. "What about you, though?" he asked after a moment. "I mean, you're a Mars Adept. I didn't think you'd like being out on the water."

Garet shrugged in response. "Hey, I dunno. I feel fine, though Sol knows why." He chuckled. "It's weird, though. When I saw you this morning, I was just thinking, 'oh man, that's what's gonna happen to me, isn't it.'"

Isaac chuckled as well. "Yeah, well, you're pretty lucky, then," he replied with a smile. "Are Mia and Ivan doing okay?"

"Think so," Garet responded. "At least, they look all right. Mia's up on deck staring off into space and Ivan's walking around and grinning like a maniac."

Isaac frowned. "That can't be a good thing." Whenever Ivan had that sort of expression on his face, it usually resulted in something embarrassing happening to one or all of the other three members of the group.

"You're telling me," Garet replied with a laugh. "Sometimes I wish I could read _his_ mind just so I could find out what's going on in that crazy head of his."

"You're not the only one," Isaac remarked, smiling. "What do you think he's planning?"

"No idea." Garet shrugged. "Anyway, Isaac," he added, suddenly grinning oddly, "I've got a question for you."

"Yeah?" Isaac asked, slightly confused by Garet's sudden change in demeanor. It was obvious, he thought when he looked back on it, what sort of question Garet had had in mind at that moment. At the time, however, he was oblivious.

Grinning mischievously in a way that would have made Ivan envious, Garet looked straight into Isaac's eyes and asked, almost causally, "Do you like Mia?"

It wasn't as though Isaac hadn't seen the question coming—after all, Garet had been calling him and Mia "sweethearts" ever since she had joined the group, so it was only natural that he would ask him this sooner or later—but the question had come out of _nowhere_, and it caught Isaac slightly off guard. For a moment he simply stared, dumbfounded, at his friend, his mind suddenly a blank.

Garet noticed Isaac's expression and wasted no time. "You do, don't you?" he asked, grinning ever wider. "I knew it."

The last thing Isaac wanted, however, was for Garet to know that he harbored an affection for their sole female companion. He _did_ like her, but if his childhood friend ever found out about that, well... it was suffice to say that he would never, _ever_ shut up about it. And the very last thing Isaac needed on this quest was Garet embarrassing him and the girl he liked at every opportunity he got. The Mars Adept already did joke about the pair, but Isaac had always thought of those as simple jokes and had started to ignore them. If Garet _knew_... those simple jokes would take on a whole new meaning.

Fortunately, Isaac recovered from his surprise remarkably quickly. Hoping Garet wouldn't notice the faint blush he could feel forming on his cheeks, he tried his best to force a serious expression and replied, "Garet, we both know that's a pointless question."

Isaac couldn't help but feel a bit relieved as Garet opened his mouth and suddenly stopped—as smug as he had looked before, he apparently hadn't expected such a response. Seemingly confused, he was silent for a few moments before responding, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I mean, think about it," Isaac explained, sitting up and at the same time wondering how he was keeping his composure so well—he only felt the slightest bit embarrassed. Supposing for the moment that it was because he had simply gotten used to Garet's constant comments on the subject, he continued, "If I say 'no,' then all that's going to happen is you're going to tell me that I'm lying."

"And what if you say 'yes?'" Garet countered, though feebly.

"I dunno," Isaac shrugged. "That's what you want me to say, isn't it?"

"Do you?"

"Not in the way you're thinking."

"I think you do."

"See what I mean?"

It was a pointless argument, and Isaac knew it. He wasn't going to admit that he liked Mia, but Garet wasn't going to stop asking whether he did or not until he got a "yes" in response. Isaac couldn't do anything to make his friend be quiet, but he just hoped that Garet would figure out how futile his question was soon—he knew it would get pretty annoying if he just kept getting asked the same thing over and over.

Unfortunately, while Garet did have the sense to realize that he wasn't going to get anywhere with just that question, he did have one other trick up his sleeve. "Okay, okay, I get it," he said, sighing exasperatedly. That expression vanished instantly, however, as with a small grin, he stared straight at Isaac and asked, "But what if I said that _Mia_ likes _you_?"

Whatever Isaac had been expecting his friend to say, it wasn't that.

Eyes widening suddenly, he stared at Garet incredulously, unable to formulate any sort of reply. Mia liked him? Really? He didn't know how to respond to that, or even how to feel. Part of him was happy, overjoyed at the fact that the girl he liked felt the same way about him. Yet, as much as he wanted to believe it, Mia was much too shy to admit something like that to Garet. Was he joking around again?

But before Isaac could say anything, before he could even open his mouth, Garet cut him off by suddenly bursting out laughing. "Dude," he choked out, nearly doubling over with mirth, "there is absolutely _no way_ you can tell me that you don't like her now." He raised an arm and pointed a finger at the Venus Adept, still laughing uncontrollably. "Not after reacting like _that._"

Isaac frowned, his cheeks reddening slightly. Well, he tried to rationalize, it was inevitable that Garet was going to find out about his fondness for Mia sooner or later. Still, he hadn't expected that his friend would find out like _this_.

"You do like her, don't you?" Garet added, calming himself so that he was only laughing occasionally now. "You _can't_ deny it, man. I know you do."

"Yeah, okay, fine, I do," Isaac muttered grudgingly, realizing he had no way out. In reality, getting it off his chest made him feel a tiny bit relieved, but he could have chosen a better person to tell than Garet. He let himself fall back onto his pillow, suddenly feeling his face warm up as he recalled what his friend had originally said. "Does Mia... really like _me_, though?" he asked, his voice quite a bit softer than before.

"Hey, I don't know," Garet replied with a laugh, and Isaac felt a sudden rush of anger shoot through him at those words. "It was supposed to be a hypothetical question."

"So in other words, you just wanted to trick me into admitting that I liked her," Isaac replied darkly, rolling away from his friend so that he was looking at the wall. This wasn't right; he and Garet had been friends for as long as he could remember. Friends weren't supposed to do these sorts of things to each other!

"Well, you sure as hell weren't going to tell me any other way," Garet replied matter-of-factly. "Dude," he added when Isaac didn't respond, "why are you so upset?"

"Because now you're never going to shut up about it," Isaac replied angrily, still staring at the wall of the room. "You already act as though we're some sort of perfect couple. I don't need any more of that."

"Hey, man," Garet replied with a grin, though Isaac couldn't see it, "I was going to keep doing that even if you _hadn't_ told me." Isaac didn't reply to this, so after a few moments of silence he felt his friend grab his shoulder and turn him back over. As he looked up at Garet's face, the Mars Adept smiled slightly and added, "Come on, man, they're _jokes_. You're not supposed to take them this seriously."

"Yeah, I guess," Isaac sighed, conceding defeat on that point. "Still... I just don't know." His face pink, he stared at his friend intently and asked, "You're not going to... tell her, are you?"

"'Course not," Garet replied, smiling, and Isaac couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "If you don't want me to, I won't say anything to her."

"Say anything to me about what?" Mia's voice, laced with curiosity, suddenly came from the doorway.

Isaac could swear that his heart stopped beating at that moment.

He whipped his head towards the source of the voice, and his widening eyes landed on the Mercury Adept, who was tilting her head slightly, pure innocence and curiosity in every facet of her expression. As she caught his horrified gaze, however, she gasped and her gloved hands instantly flew to her mouth. "Oh... oh dear," she said softly, her eyes widening and her face flushing with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't... I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop..."

Isaac stared at her silently, his mouth frozen open in terror—had she heard? Mia was also frozen in place, but to her credit, she seemed to be contemplating dashing out the door. She certainly didn't look as though she had wanted to overhear...

It was neither Isaac nor Mia that broke the uncomfortable silence, however. Both of the Adepts' dazes were broken and their eyes instantly snapped towards Garet as for the second time, he suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.

This time, however, Garet didn't give any explanation for his mirth. Without a word and laughing all the while, he walked right past Mia and out the door, leaving behind a terrified boy and a very confused girl.

It was several moments before Mia turned her head back towards Isaac, perplexed. "I-Isaac?" she asked, blinking rather cutely in utter confusion. "What just happened?"

"No idea," Isaac replied softly, feeling a bit calmer but just as confused as she was. "Mia," he added shakily a second later, needing to know the answer, "did you... hear anything?"

Mia's crystal-blue eyes fell to the floor as her face turned a pretty pink. "O-only that Garet wasn't going to say anything to me about something," she answered, and Isaac felt his prior tension suddenly vanish. The Mercury Adept looked up at him again, her expression troubled. "I-I'm really sorry, Isaac, I didn't—"

"I-It's okay," Isaac interrupted her, hesitantly. "It's not your fault." Silently, he prayed that Mia wouldn't ask what he and Garet had been talking about. He wasn't sure if he would have the courage to tell her if she did...

Mia nodded, though she didn't seem quite convinced. Clutching the fabric of her dress, she murmured, "I-if you say so..."

"No, I mean it," Isaac insisted, feeling a bit of his confidence return. He wished that she didn't look so troubled; she was so much prettier when she was smiling that serene smile of hers...

His wish was granted a moment later, as a light, feathery smile played about her lips. She stepped towards him then, stopping only when she was right next to him. "Are you feeling better?" she asked. "You look a lot better than you did this morning."

"Well, I _feel_ a lot better than I did this morning," Isaac replied, smiling because she was smiling. "I never knew that Mercury psynergy was effective on seasickness," he added with a chuckle.

Mia's smile widened slightly, her gaze flicking to the floor before returning to his eyes—was it his imagination, or was she turning pink again? "You'd be surprised at what Ply can be useful for," she responded, her voice a bit softer than usual. Grinning slyly, she added after a moment, "You're welcome."

"Thank you," Isaac said with a laugh, guessing the meaning of her grin. That caused her to giggle, and he had to admit... she certainly was pretty when she smiled. A strange warmth flowed through him as he thought that, one that was intensified slightly as he realized how sweet it was of her to come down and see how he was doing...

"Well," Mia remarked, breaking Isaac out of his reverie, "you seem to be doing okay, but just in case..." She closed her eyes, mumbling a spell to Mercury. Moments later, a cerulean-tinged fairy manifested itself over him. It flew back and forth over his body, spreading blue sparkles everywhere it went, and whenever a sparkle touched him, Isaac could feel a cool, soothing sensation wash over him, healing him and relaxing him.

The spell completed, the fairy vanished, and Mia opened her crystal-blue eyes. "Did that help?" she asked, smiling in that serene way that Isaac found so irresistibly attractive.

"Yeah," Isaac replied softly, for some reason finding himself unable to speak at a normal volume. "Thanks a lot, Mia."

This time Mia definitely went pink. It was unusual for her to react this way, to be sure, but Isaac didn't mind, seeing as how it made her look even prettier than she already was. "It's what I'm here for," she responded, smiling at the floor.

After that, the two Adepts lapsed into silence. Isaac found himself unable to think of anything to say, staring at the beautiful girl before him. Part of his mind was telling him that he should compliment her, that he should tell her just how pretty he found her, but another part told him that he couldn't do that, that Mia might get a bit freaked out if he did. He wasn't sure what he should do.

He never got a chance to decide what to do, however, as Mia broke the silence, looking up so that she was again looking directly into his eyes. "Well," she said, "I'll let you get your rest. Stay well," she added as she started walking towards the door of the room.

"Yeah... thanks," Isaac responded stupidly, his brain oddly slow.

As she reached the doorway, though, she suddenly stopped, seeming to think about something. Turning around, she asked, "Isaac?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

Her expression was one of concern, and Isaac could tell that she was thinking about what she had accidentally overheard. "E-... everything's okay, right?" she asked uncertainly.

Once again, Isaac found himself marveling at how much this simple girl cared about his troubles. And for the briefest instant, he contemplated telling her what he was starting to feel for her, telling her just how much she meant to him...

But he didn't.

"Yeah," he answered, with a genuine smile. "Everything's fine."

She smiled back, then. "Just... wanted to make sure," she explained. And with that, she turned and left, leaving Isaac alone with many new things to think about.

* * *

Now _this_ chapter was a fun one to write, especially the conversation between Isaac and Garet. The dynamic between them is certainly an interesting one, and I really hope that I captured their friendship well, as I would think they are very close. What do you guys think? 

On a somewhat-related-to-this-story note, I have a question for any fan-artists who are reading this story: do any of you take art requests? While I was in the middle of writing this chapter, a sudden idea for a picture hit me and wouldn't go away. The only thing is, when it comes to visual art, I have no talent whatsoever. I was hoping that someone with talent might be able to bring my idea to life. :) If you're interested, fire off a PM or e-mail my way, and I'll get back to you with the details.

Anyway, with my new schedule in place, expect the next chapter to come out quite a bit faster than the first two did. I missed the three-week line for this chapter by a few days, but I'll do my best to try and get chapter 4 out quicker. Just remember: if chapter 4 is not out by (checks calendar) March 23, spam the hell out of me. :P In the meantime...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	4. Ivan and Garet: Ambiguous Morals

Ack! Only two chapters into my new system and I've already gone and managed to miss my deadline by a day. Uh... blame midterms! --hides--

Well, anyway... I'm not sure anyone really noticed, but I decided to go back to chapter three and take out all instances of Garet calling Isaac "Ize." I'm not sure why, but a lot of reviewers seemed to find that name weird, and who am I to argue with them? The change is hardly major, but I just thought I'd let you guys know.

Also, _Brynn Parker_ has taken on my art request! It's not quite finished yet, but keep an eye out for a link to appear on my profile page within the next few days or so. :) In addition to that, you can also expect a much more recent (and, IMO, much better) picture of myself to appear in my profile sometime in the next week (i.e. as soon as my very lazy friend gets off her ass and sends it to me). It's about time that I get rid of that old picture of myself...

Finally, review responses have been sent out on time this time around. As always, thanks to _Insanity Team! (a.k.a. Violet)_, _Kodoku_ and _The Donkey of Terror_ for their reviews (though methinks _Donkey_ needs to read up on Garet's character a little better), as I can't send you guys replies. In any case, here's chapter four!

_**chapter four**  
Ivan and Garet  
**ambiguous morals**_

Ivan's ability to read minds was just one of those things whose morality he had never really questioned. For as long as he could remember, other people's thoughts had always been open to him, and he had never really wondered whether it was right of him to hear them—the ability to do so was just something he had accepted as normal. In fact, it was only a few years ago that he had learned that most people couldn't do what he could, but even then, it had done nothing to stop him from using his powers. After all, it wasn't as though other people could tell when he was reading their minds, so what was the harm? He had continued to listen, and nobody had ever found out about it.

Meeting Isaac and Garet marked the first time in Ivan's life when he had read someone's mind and that someone had been aware of it. It also marked the first time when he realized that some people didn't like having their inner thoughts known to another person. Still, Ivan hadn't made his promise to never read his two friends' minds again because he thought it was the right thing to do. It was simply because of the fact that they were friends. After all, while they had never explicitly come out and said it, Ivan knew that Isaac and Garet felt rather uncomfortable when they knew their thoughts were being read, and Ivan didn't want them to feel that way. It was simply a matter of respecting his friends' unspoken wishes, and there was nothing deeper about it than that.

Reading Mia's mind, however, was the incident that had changed everything for him.

Mia. For some reason Ivan found it a little more difficult to spark a conversation with the Imilian healer than with his other, male companions, but she was still a very close friend, and always the person he could talk to if he was feeling a bit depressed or insecure. But while Ivan had promised Isaac and Garet that he would never read their minds, he had not done the same for her, which was why he and Garet had decided it would be better for him to ask Mia about any... feelings she had for Isaac, just in case she was stubborn about admitting them. Their plan had worked, to be sure, but now Ivan was having second thoughts about what he had just done as he lay on his bed, watching the sunlight from outside the ship dim slowly.

Granted, he had caught Mia thinking about something that was obviously a very personal matter for her, but still... it was obvious enough from her reaction that her affection for Isaac was _not_ something he had been supposed to find out. It was something that should have remained secret until she was ready to tell someone, not a feeling that Ivan should have forced out of her with his powers. Yet it was a difficult thing for him to come to terms with, because before today, due to his abilities, Ivan had never really thought of a person's mind as a place where secrets could be safely kept. Nothing about a person could be successfully hidden from him; if he so desired he could simply delve into someone's mind and learn everything there was to know about him or her. There was no limit to the information he could obtain about another person by reading his or her thoughts.

But was it right of him to do so?

_It's just... well, we're supposed to be friends, Ivan._ That was what she had said, and that was what was bothering him. Reading the mind of some random townsperson in order to obtain information about their quest was one thing, reading the mind of his friend for no other reason than amusement was another.

_I always thought that you'd... respect my privacy, because of that._ She had said that, too. She had always known that he could have read her mind at any time, but she had trusted him enough to believe that he would never do that to her... because they were friends. And without even considering how she might feel about it, he had gone and broken that trust.

She had forgiven him for his mistake, that much was true. And it made him feel a lot better to know that she wasn't still angry at him, but it hadn't done anything to make him stop his newfound wondering about the morality of his powers. Was it right for him to use his abilities so... indiscriminately, even if ultimately it helped him and his companions in their quest? Was it all right of him to delve into the personal lives of people he didn't even know, even if they didn't realize he was doing it? And most importantly, was it all right of him to invade his close friend's privacy... even if, in the end, it could help make her and another one of his close friends happy?

He never got a chance to answer those questions for himself, however, as the sound of a key clicking in the lock of the door of the room broke him out of his reverie. Moments later, the door opened and a grinning Garet made his way into the room. "Hey, Ivan," he greeted cheerfully as he walked over to his own bed and sat down on it.

Ivan had always been one to get rather annoyed when someone interrupted his internal musings, but he would gladly make an exception for Garet right now—they had important information to exchange, after all. "Hey, Garet," he replied, sitting up with a small grin to match the Mars Adept's. "You look pretty happy."

Garet's expression suddenly looked rather mischievous. "Three guesses as to why," he responded, his teeth now showing in his grin. "First two don't count."

Ivan's smile grew a little wider as well—so Garet had succeeded. "I'm impressed," he remarked, chuckling. "You actually got Isaac to just come out and _admit_ he likes Mia?"

Garet shrugged, but it did nothing to diminish his mischievous expression. "Well... I wouldn't say I got him to '_just come out_' and admit it," he explained, chuckling as well. "But I managed to force it out of him, yeah. I didn't need to read his mind, either," he added playfully, sticking out his tongue at the Jupiter Adept.

"Yeah, well, you've known him all your life," Ivan countered, giving his friend a shrug and a look that silently said, _whatever._ "I think it's much harder to talk to someone that you've only known for two months about this sort of thing... _especially_ a girl. Heck, compared to me, you probably didn't even have to try," he remarked, also sticking out his tongue.

It was silly, childlike gestures such as these that personified the sort of relationship that Ivan and Garet shared. Though he would never do anything to hinder their quest, Ivan was a child at heart, and was always looking for a way to embarrass his friends for his own amusement—within reason, of course. Likewise, while Garet wasn't the type to actually go out of his way to prank someone, he could always appreciate a good joke and was always willing to share a good laugh with his friends. The two of them had gotten along well almost from the moment Ivan had joined the group, and had become "partners in crime" of sorts as the journey went on. If anything embarrassing happened to Isaac or Mia, chances were that it was the fault of Ivan and Garet.

And this was their best idea yet: getting Isaac and Mia to fall in love with each other. It was one of those strange things that they weren't sure how they knew, but it had only taken a few days of the Mercury Adept traveling with the group for Ivan and Garet to realize that she and Isaac were _made_ to be together. And so the name-calling had begun: they had called the boy and girl "lovebirds," "sweethearts," and any other names they could think of that might get the pair to slowly begin to look at and think about each other as more than just simple friends. It looked now as though their tactics had worked, too; Isaac and Mia weren't exactly confessing their heartfelt love for each other just yet, but there was an affection there, that was for sure. And all that Ivan and Garet had had to do once they had noticed that was to get the two of them to admit to themselves how they felt about each other.

Now there was only one problem.

"Anyway..." Ivan said slowly, "what are we supposed to do now?"

Garet shrugged, his mischievous expression fading. "Well... I'm not really sure, to be honest," he answered. Now that they knew that Isaac and Mia liked each other, there wasn't that much else that could be done. "Still, at least we know we don't have to worry about making them like each other anymore," he added, with a small smile.

One of the things Ivan and Garet had agreed upon was that they couldn't actually _force_ their two friends to tell each other their feelings. They could try to encourage the pair, try to get them into situations where the two of them were alone, but in the end the actual telling was the one thing that had to be left up to Isaac and Mia themselves—if they were forced to confess their affections before they were ready to do so, the results could be disastrous. All that Ivan and Garet could really do now was wait and see what developed between the two of them.

"I guess not," Ivan remarked, laying back on his bed and looking up at the wooden ceiling. It was several moments before he spoke again, and when he did, his voice was filled with uncertainty. "Do you think they'll... end up telling each other in the end, though?" he asked softly.

Garet responded to that with an incredulous snort. "Do you really think there's a chance that they won't?" he asked, staring at Ivan with his eyebrows raised. "We know they like each other," he remarked, with a confident grin. "It'll end up happening eventually, I know it."

Ivan couldn't help but smile slightly, still staring at the ceiling. Well, that was Garet for you, always the one to think positively no matter the situation. Still... there was a chance that they might not tell each other, and as long as it was there, Ivan still felt slightly ill at ease. If Isaac and Mia did really end up falling in love with each other, then it would be okay that he had read Mia's mind, but if not... "What if they don't, though?" he asked, frowning to himself.

Garet raised his eyebrows once again. "'What if they don't?'" he parroted incredulously. "What's with you today?" he asked, with the faintest hint of concern. "I thought the whole idea of this was to make _sure_ they ended up together."

"Yeah, I know," Ivan sighed, frowning thoughtfully. "I've just... been thinking about a lot of things." Silently, he wondered what Garet might think of him for getting so worked up about his natural abilities. He could already see the Mars Adept, laughing and telling him he was being an idiot... but Ivan didn't want him to react that way. This was a rather serious matter to him...

"Yeah?" Garet responded, sounding genuinely interested and just a tiny bit worried. "What sort of things?"

Ivan rolled away from his friend. "I-I don't know if I want to say," he replied softly, his frown deepening and his voice very small. "If I tell you, you're probably just going to laugh at me..."

"Hey, man, if it's that big a deal to you, then I'll take it seriously," Garet reassured him. "What's the matter?" Ivan, however, was still unsure and didn't reply to this, so after a few moments he heard Garet complain, "Sol, why is everyone ignoring me today? Come on, Ivan, I'm your friend! I'm not gonna laugh at you."

Ivan rolled back so that he was facing the Mars Adept. Violet eyes shining with uncertainty, he looked straight at his friend and asked, very softly, "You promise?"

Garet just grinned. "You know, I'd think that you'd have started to trust me just a little after traveling with me for four months," he remarked playfully. "Of course I promise."

Ivan couldn't help but grin a little as well as he sat up—the Mars Adept certainly had a way of making people feel better. "Well..." he started slowly, uncertainly, finding it difficult to keep his eyes on Garet's, "I've just been thinking about... my Mind Read," he confessed, his tiny grin fading into an uncertain frown.

Garet cocked his head slightly, his expression confused, as though he was wondering how anyone could possibly be uncomfortable with such a power. "What about it?" he asked slowly, carefully.

"Well... I don't know..." Ivan said softly, finding it hard to put his troubled feelings into words. "I just... it's just that when I read Mia's mind earlier today, she got really... upset at me," he explained, sighing sadly as he recalled the memory. "It just... it made me wonder whether..." He trailed off, suddenly finding it too difficult to continue.

"Whether what?" Garet helped him.

"I don't know..." Ivan repeated. He suddenly looked up and stared directly into Garet's eyes uneasily. "Is it... okay for me to read her mind... or anyone's? Is it okay for me to... just invade people's privacy like that, even if it helps us in the end?"

For several seconds there was silence between the two Adepts as Garet slowly took in what his friend had just asked. Ivan just kept frowning uncertainly, wondering more and more as time wore on whether it had been a good idea to tell Garet what had been bothering him.

Finally, however, Garet spoke up. Letting out a breath and shaking his head, the Mars Adept frowned thoughtfully and remarked, "That's... one _hell_ of a good question."

Ivan sighed and let himself fall back onto his pillow. "I know," he responded softly. "I just... I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel about this."

"I don't blame you, man," Garet said, with the ghost of a grin on his face. "Me, well... If I had your power, I'd be reading the minds of everyone that I could." He sighed, somewhat sadly. "But then again, I'm not you."

Ivan could feel the corners of his mouth twitch upwards slightly without his control as he stared up at the ceiling once again. "I don't even want to _know_ what you'd go around doing if you could read minds," he remarked jokingly. "But still..." he rolled back towards Garet, his expression serious, "... what do you think about... well, this?"

In response to the question, Garet leaned back on his hands, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a sigh very slowly. "Well, I guess I'm in the same boat as you," he said after a few moments. "I don't really know what to think about it either. There isn't any one good answer."

The first part of his answer only made Ivan frown, but the end of it made him look up. "What do you mean by that?" he asked slowly.

Garet just shrugged, not looking at him. "Well, I mean, you can't just say 'it's good' or 'it's bad,'" he explained. "It's... too complicated for that."

Ivan considered this for a moment, then replied, "Yeah... I guess so." That didn't really help him, however.

Garet wasn't done, though. "Still..." he added with a small smile, "I don't think you should really let it bother you so much."

That got Ivan's attention. "You don't?" he asked incredulously, sitting up—how could he just ignore his own dilemma like that? "Why?"

Garet just shrugged, his smile widening slightly. "Well, I mean... you're not hurting anyone, are you?" Ivan opened his mouth to speak, but the Mars Adept quickly cut him off, "Aside from what just happened with Mia, I mean."

Ivan blinked, thinking. Finally, he replied, "Well... not really, I guess." He frowned. "Non-Adepts can't even tell what I'm doing."

"So what's the harm?" Garet asked, shrugging again.

Ivan stared at him—what was he getting at? "Well, for starters," he began, "there's the fact that I'm invading someone's privacy, and learning things about people that I'm not sure I'm supposed to know, and—"

"But you're not doing anything bad to those people," Garet interrupted him again, still smiling. "I mean, it's not like you're using their thoughts to get them in trouble, is it?"

"What about those thieves back in Vault?" Ivan fired back cynically.

It was Garet's turn to be stunned momentarily. He blinked for a moment, and then, regaining his composure, he shrugged and asked, "Well, that ended up helping out all of Vault, didn't it?"

Ivan opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after he realized that he had no good reply to Garet's words. "Well... I suppose..." he said softly.

"And the rest of these people," Garet continued, clearly gaining steam. "You're not doing anything bad with what you find out from them, and for all they know, you didn't even _do_ anything. So what's the matter?"

"Well... I don't know..." Ivan responded meekly. "It's just that Mia was so upset with me, it made me wonder if—"

"Is Mia still mad at you?" It seemed as though Garet didn't want Ivan to finish a sentence. "She seemed fine enough when I saw her earlier."

Ivan stared at his friend again, blinking. Finally, he replied, "She's not mad at me anymore."

"So she forgave you, then."

"Yeah..."

"Well then, there you go," Garet remarked, with a confident grin. "So you made a mistake, big deal. She's not mad at you for it, and now you know not to read her mind again. Is that so bad?"

"I guess not..." Ivan replied. "But still," he added, staring straight at Garet uneasily, "I found out something I wasn't supposed to, and—"

"'Something you weren't supposed to find out?' Are you talking about the fact that Mia likes Isaac, here?" Garet asked incredulously, still grinning. "Dude, the whole _reason_ you talked with her in the first place was to find that out. Even if you _hadn't_ read her mind, I'm sure you would have gotten her to admit it sooner or later."

Ivan frowned slightly, looking at the ground for a moment before back at Garet. "You think so?" he asked uncertainly.

"Of course," Garet replied, his grin now becoming rather mischievous. "Besides," he added, his teeth showing in his grin, "since you _did_ read her mind, we _know_ she likes Isaac now. And that means, if things go how we want them to, that we can make her a very happy girl." He chuckled. "Don't you think so?"

Finally, Ivan smiled slightly. "Yeah..." he responded. "You're right."

"'Course I am," Garet said playfully, looking rather pleased with himself. "Now will you stop being so depressed about this?"

Ivan had to chuckle. "Yeah, okay, fine," he replied. Then, after a moment, he asked jokingly, "Man, how do you always stay so optimistic?"

Garet just shrugged, still grinning. "Hey, someone's gotta make sure everyone here doesn't mope around all the time," he replied. Ivan just kept smiling at him.

* * *

Okay, so... maybe it's the lack of outright romance, but something about this chapter bothers me. It feels... well, filler-ish, for lack of a better word. Still, what do you guys think? Remember, please don't hesitate to point out any problems you see.

Anyway, I'm excited to get started on chapter 5 bright and early, because it's going to be an exclusively Isaac/Mia chapter. I've already had a lot of ideas for what will happen in it, so expect it to come out a lot quicker! In the meantime...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Mia and Isaac  
**expect next chapter by: **April 15, at the latest April 23_


	5. Mia and Isaac: Inexplicable Fears

Man, when I say I'm going to try to get a chapter out by a certain date, I really should make a conscious effort to do that instead of falling back on the "at the latest" one instead. This chapter would've been out a lot faster otherwise... Still, I guess I did actually meet my deadline this time.

_Brynn Parker_ has finished my art request! Check out my profile for a link to it. It's very well done, I think. :) Also, I put up that newer picture of myself a little while ago, if anyone's interested. That link is in my profile as well.

Even though it didn't end up coming out as fluffy as I first intended it to be, I like this chapter a lot. Please note, though, that I took a tiny bit of liberty with the canon here. It's nothing major, but it never really made sense to me how Isaac and his friends could come back from Altmiller Cave, where they probably had exhausted themselves, and then Isaac could go on to fight in and win Colosso without any sort of break. So in this story, Isaac and company are staying in Babi's palace for the night before the finals the next day. Again, it's no big deal, but it needed mentioning.

As always, I've sent out review responses to everyone who reviewed. Anonymous reviewer thanks for this chapter go to _Kodoku_ and _Insanity Team! (a.k.a. Violet)_ (though you don't have to worry about me not knowing any basic Japanese words, Violet... ima, boku wa nihongo o benkyou shite imasu ;D ). Anyway, here we go with chapter 5!

_**chapter five**  
Mia and Isaac  
**inexplicable fears  
**_

Mia couldn't sleep.

It was clear that when it came to his guests, Lord Babi wanted them given only the best of the best. The bed that had been provided for her was the best example of that—it had the most comfortable mattress that the Imilian healer had ever felt, and it was enormous to boot—it even had a canopy. Had she been feeling tired, she could have fallen asleep on this bed in mere moments.

But she wasn't.

It was only a few hours ago that she and her three friends had returned to Tolbi from Altmiller Cave and had gone to the palace to find Lord Babi waiting for them at the entrance. He had insisted that the four of them stay the night as thanks for saving his life. He had also insisted that Isaac take part in the Colosso finals that were taking place the next day, something the blond warrior had rather hesitantly agreed to.

However, Babi had made it clear that Isaac would be fighting alone. Mia would have no choice tomorrow but to sit in the stands and watch as the quiet boy she had secretly fallen for fought for his life against opponents much stronger than him, opponents who had been training for years for just this competition.

With her, Garet and Ivan by his side, Isaac was unbeatable. The four of them worked flawlessly together, and so great were their efforts to protect each other that no enemy could ever hope to bring even one of them down. But by himself, against a well-trained, intelligent opponent... could Isaac hope to win? Could he even... no. She didn't want to think about it. Besides, she knew that Isaac could handle himself, and it wasn't like him to go charging into a situation where he knew he couldn't win. He would be fine.

At least, that was what Mia had been trying to tell herself for the past hour or so. But it wasn't working very well, because every time she closed her eyes to try to sleep, she kept seeing him, fighting by himself, in worse and worse situations. Isaac, getting beaten back relentlessly by a warrior whose sword swipes he could only barely hope to block. Isaac, staggering back from a particularly vicious blow, his expression helpless as he watched his sword sail away uselessly. Isaac, with shock and pain exploding on his face as his opponent's blade pierced his—

Mia's eyes snapped open for what felt like the millionth time that night.

She could feel herself trembling slightly as she sat up in bed, hugging her knees to her chest and letting out a soft whimper of fear. She didn't understand; why was she so scared? Every rational part of her mind was telling her that the chances of Isaac actually being... killed... were extremely slim—the matches were carefully monitored, after all. But the mere thought that it _could_ happen was making her feel as scared as a little girl. She knew that she needed to go to sleep, needed to be well-rested for tomorrow, but with the constant worry in the back of her head, sleep was the very last thing on her mind.

Even still, she didn't know why she was so worried. She knew she liked Isaac, but had that feeling grown without her knowing it? Had she really grown to care for him so much in such a short time?

Isaac was her friend. But no... he was more than that to her and she knew it, even if he didn't feel the same way about her in return. She loved being around him, loved talking with him, loved seeing him smile that confident smile of his. She treasured his friendship more than that of any other boy she had ever met. And even though she had only been traveling with him for little more than two months, she knew she could say without a doubt that thanks to him, those two months had been the most unforgettable time of her life. But... was he really _that_ important to her? How had her feelings for him grown this strong so quickly? All she knew was that she was so afraid, so afraid that she might lose him... and that she didn't want him to compete tomorrow. Not if something terrible might happen to him...

Letting out a small, pained sigh, she relaxed slightly and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, glancing around the room. The only thing that brightened the room around her were the two pale blue shafts of moonlight that shone in from the windows on one of the stone walls, but it was enough to illuminate the ornate red rug that lay on the floor in front of the bed. Other than that, however, the room was rather bare; aside from a wooden desk and chair with a small lantern on it—she supposed that it was often foreign diplomats that used this room—and a vase full of colorful flowers that sat on a small table in the corner, there was nothing else of interest.

She wished that Isaac was there with her.

The thought came out of nowhere, but at the same time she knew it was the truth. Isaac's presence was just something she had gotten used to during their journey; after all, the two shared a room or tent just about every night, and he was never far from her side. But without her really realizing it, it had also slowly become something that comforted her, made her feel more at ease. She felt calmer when he was around, knowing that if she wanted to she could talk to him about anything and everything.

Mia always felt comfortable talking to Isaac, even if he did make her a little nervous. Though Garet and Ivan were her close friends as well, she knew that Isaac was the one person she could talk to about anything without having to worry about how he would react. She supposed that it was one of the things that made her like him so much—she knew that he was always willing to listen to her, just as she was always willing to listen to him. And she knew that if there was anyone she could talk to about her worries now, it was him. He would understand, and would listen to what she had to say.

But tonight he wasn't there with her; tonight she couldn't share her fears with him. The servant-girls that Lord Babi had had attend to the group had been utterly horrified at the prospect of Isaac and Mia sharing a room; after all, since they weren't _married_—she distinctly remembered those words for the blush that she had felt on her face upon hearing them—it was simply _improper_ for the two of them to stay together for the night. Mia knew that there was no denying the servants' logic, but still... why did it have to be tonight that the two of them were separated, the one night when she _needed_ to talk to him, to tell him that he didn't have to fight tomorrow?

Frowning, she suddenly wondered if it would be okay for her to go to his room and talk to him.

Of course, however, she immediately dismissed the thought. What a foolish idea that would be! It was true that he was always willing to listen to her... but at a time like _this_? What would he think? All that going to him would accomplish would be to make her look silly in his eyes. Besides, as much as she didn't like it, he was probably already asleep, getting his rest for tomorrow's competition. What right did she have to go and disturb him with worries that he would probably think of as unfounded?

Yet despite her initial feelings about it, the idea had planted itself in her head, and it wasn't about to go away anytime soon. What was worse, the more she thought about it, the more appealing the idea seemed to get. She wanted—no, _needed_—to see him, to talk to him, to tell him that he didn't have to fight. She needed to tell him just how worried she was, needed to have him listen to her, needed to hear him say that everything was going to be all right...

A small part of her felt silly as she kicked off the covers and slid off the comfortable bed, but Mia did her best to push it away. If she didn't talk to Isaac now, she reasoned, she would never get to sleep and she knew it. Donning a pale blue cloak over her nightdress, she uneasily made her way to the door, opened it, and peered outside.

Due to a combination of more, larger windows and several flaming torches on the walls, the stone hallway outside Mia's room was quite a bit brighter than inside it, and she had to blink a few times to clear her vision. When she was able to see again, however, she found herself face-to-face with the guard on patrol, a tall man who was clad in the traditional earth-brown armor of the Tolbian army and who was carrying a rather nasty-looking spear at his side.

Fortunately, though, the guard's personality was not nearly as intimidating as his appearance was. With a curious expression on his face, he cocked his head at Mia slightly and politely asked, "Is there a problem, miss?"

Mia could feel her face heat up as her gaze fell to the floor. She hadn't even gotten to Isaac's room and already she looked like a fool—after all, what was she supposed to say? _I'm sorry, I need to go and talk to this boy I really like because I'm afraid he's going to go and get himself killed tomorrow_? "N-no..." she managed to stammer out. "I'm all right."

The guard stared at her for a moment longer, then shrugged and continued on his patrol. Mia let out a breath—well, at least the guard hadn't tried to stop her from leaving her room or anything like that. Taking another breath and trying her best to convince herself that this was something she had to do, she closed her door and slowly made her way down the hall to where Isaac was staying.

She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she slowly neared Isaac's room, and with every step another pang of nervousness emanated from her chest, threatening to stop her in her tracks. She was being silly, the rational part of her mind reasoned. She was scared of things that she had no reason to worry about... and she was walking down the hallway in her nightdress like a little girl who wanted to see her parents after a bad dream. She didn't have to do this, didn't have to subject herself to such embarrassment just so that she could sleep for one night...

Yet even as she thought that, Mia could not bring herself to stop walking. Some part of her mind, some part of her _heart_ was telling her that she had to see him. Not because she was scared, or because she had to tell him to reconsider participating in Colosso... but because she just wanted to see him. Just tonight... just once. Just in case she would never be able to see him again after tomorrow...

It should have only taken several seconds to reach Isaac's door, but to Mia it felt as though several minutes had passed by the time she found herself in front of his room. She could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest as she stood there in front of the door, could hear every part of her mind frantically trying to tell her that she didn't have to do this, that she could just go back to her room and try her best to go to sleep despite her fears. It was strange, she thought, that she had faced all sorts of wild, ferocious beasts with only the tiniest hint of fear, but simply trying to talk to the boy she liked was nearly paralyzing her with nervousness.

She shook her head as if to clear it then, remembering that she had to see Isaac. And ignoring her mind's protests, and taking another deep breath and summoning all her courage, she raised her hand and knocked lightly upon the wooden door.

The moment her hand dropped back to her side, however, the protests from her mind came roaring back. What had she just _done_? Isaac was probably asleep, and she had just gone and woken him for her own selfish reasons. He probably didn't even want to answer the door, anyway; he was just going to roll over and go back to sleep...

When Isaac's voice clearly rang out, "Coming," from inside, however, she could almost feel her heart stop. For better or for worse, there was no turning back now. Closing her eyes, she took one last deep breath to try and calm herself. Her eyes opened just as the door did, bringing her face-to-face with the boy she had secretly fallen for.

He shielded his eyes as he opened the door, clearly not having expected the relative brightness of the hallway outside his room. He was dressed in his normal sleeping attire, a sky-blue, short-sleeve shirt—which had his trademark yellow scarf wrapped around its neck—and baggy brown shorts. When his vision returned and he noticed Mia standing before him, however, his eyes widened. She could have sworn that she saw the tiniest hint of red in his cheeks as he confusedly stammered out, "M-Mia?"

"I-Isaac..." For the second time in the past few minutes, Mia could feel all the blood in her body rush to her face as she stared at him. What was she supposed to say now? She felt scared, so scared, but in her haste to go and see him she seemed to have forgotten everything she had wanted to say. "You're awake..." she managed to choke out.

Isaac rubbed the back of his neck, clearly even more confused now. "Um... yeah," he answered awkwardly, nervously glancing around as though checking to see if there were any guards nearby. His gaze turning back to her, he asked slowly, "Er... s-should I not be?"

She couldn't keep her eyes on his, and her gaze fell to the floor, her face almost certainly flaming red by now. "Well, no, I just..." Just what? Just wanted to see him? Just wanted to talk to him? Just wanted to let everything out to him? "I just... you know... didn't think you'd be up," she finished slowly, still staring at her feet.

Mia realized quickly how stupid that must have sounded, and she was sure that Isaac had caught it too—after all, if she had thought he would be asleep, then why would she have gone and knocked on his door? She was expecting him to raise his eyebrow at that, to make some sarcastic, playful comment about what she had done, which was something she really didn't need right now. She was surprised, then, when what she heard from him was a soft, gentle voice. "Is... something wrong, Mia?" he asked slowly, carefully, clearly concerned.

She looked up at that, and the two pairs of crystal-blue eyes met. It was times like these that made Mia like Isaac the most, times like these where she knew he was worried for her and clearly wanted to do anything in his power to help her feel better. Some part of her mind always reasoned that he acted like this simply because they were friends, that he would do the same for anyone else he cared about, but even that could never stop the pleasant rush of warmth that ran through her body when she knew that he was thinking of her and only her. It made her feel really special to know that he cared for her so much, even if she didn't know whether it was as a friend or... something more.

Still, now wasn't exactly the time for such thoughts. Her eyes flickered away from his, focusing on a spot on the wall just to his right. "I... I don't really know..." she answered shyly, truthfully. Letting out a sigh, she added, "I just... I needed to talk to you." She brought her gaze to his face again, her expression slightly hopeful.

Isaac seemed a bit stunned by this, and Mia couldn't blame him for it—there was no way the poor boy could have ever been in a situation like this before. He snapped out of it quickly, though. Blushing ever so slightly, he tried his best at a small smile and awkwardly asked, gesturing toward the dark room behind him, "Well, um... do you want to come in, then?"

Despite her nervousness, seeing him smile made her smile slightly, too. He just looked so irresistibly _cute_ like that, with that small, fond smile on his face, that without warning she suddenly was overcome with a powerful urge to just throw her arms around the boy and hug him tight. It wasn't as though she was actually going to do it, but still... "Um... I suppose," she responded softly, her blush diminishing to the point where it matched his.

An ordinary girl in an ordinary situation might have been horrified at the idea of walking into a boy's room in the middle of the night, but Mia's situation was hardly normal. In fact, after having stayed with Isaac for so many nights during their journey, it actually felt _right_ as she made her way into his room, especially after having to be by herself. His room was identical to hers, with the only exception being that the lantern on the desk at the side of the room was still lit. This confused her; had he even tried to go to sleep at all?

That thought was quickly pushed out of her mind, however, as Isaac sat down on the side of his bed, gesturing for her to come sit beside him with a small smile. She did so without hesitation, trying her best not to blush at how close he was to her. She had to admit she felt rather strange, though—where had all her fear gone? She felt a bit nervous from being around him, yes, but for some reason she seemed to have forgotten everything that was bothering her. Her face turned pink at that thought; she had had no idea that Isaac's presence was so calming to her...

Isaac, for his part, certainly didn't seem to mind the fact that she had come to see him in the middle of the night. There was a hint of playfulness behind his eyes as he smiled and asked her, "So, Mia... What exactly is so important that you had to come see me so late?"

She would have giggled at that if it weren't for the fact that his question had suddenly made all the thoughts that had made her so scared come rushing back. Her smile faded, her eyes falling to the floor. "I-I've just... been thinking about some things," she answered softly, frowning. "I don't know why, but... I feel really afraid..."

"Really?" he responded, sounding genuinely concerned, and for all her fear Mia couldn't help but feel a small pang of warmth in her heart. "Do you know what's... making you feel that way?" he asked.

"Well... sort of," Mia replied, still not looking at him. "I just... I can't stop thinking about tomorrow," she admitted, clutching the front of her cloak. "About Colosso." It was wonderful, she thought, how easily she found she could tell him this without having to worry about how he might react. This time, however, his reaction was rather unexpected.

"... Oh," Isaac remarked after a moment, his voice suddenly rather low. She looked up at him then, confused as to what had caused his sudden change in demeanor—had she said something wrong? He wasn't looking at her anymore, though; instead, he was looking at his feet just as she had been doing. His expression was rather pained, and Mia couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, despite the fact that she wasn't quite sure what she had done.

"I-... Isaac?" she asked slowly, frowning with concern for her friend. "A-are you all right?"

He turned his head slightly so that he was looking at her, frowning slightly. Then he shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Yeah..." he responded, "I'm... I'm fine. It's just that, well..." He seemed to be debating whether or not to tell her something as he looked away from her for a moment before turning back and meeting her eyes once again. "I haven't really been able to stop thinking about tomorrow either."

"Y-you haven't?" Mia asked, and then almost immediately gave herself the mental equivalent of a smack to the face. Of course he was worried about tomorrow! He was the one who was actually going to be fighting!

He looked up at her at that, an almost incredulous look in his eyes, and Mia could instantly feel herself blush scarlet. "I-I-I'm sorry," she sputtered, trying her best to fix the situation. "I-I didn't—"

His lips curled upward into a small, tired smile then, which effectively silenced her. "It's all right," he murmured softly, his expression softening in understanding. "I think... we've just both got a lot on our minds right now."

For Mia, that was an understatement if she had ever heard one, though she didn't dare voice that thought. Instead she tried to give him a small smile, but she was still too embarrassed to do so. All she could do was drop her gaze to the small space on the bed between her and Isaac, frowning slightly. She could feel worry slowly starting to creep up her body as she softly asked, "Have you seen the other fighters yet?"

"Yeah," Isaac responded after a moment, with a small sigh. "They were there when Lord Babi was explaining the rules of the finals to everyone." He chuckled slightly. "I don't think they were really expecting to see me there, though."

Despite the fear that was slowly consuming her, his words brought a tiny smile to her face, and she looked up. He was staring at the ground with a small smile, which calmed her slightly, but it didn't make her next question any easier to ask. "Do... do you think you can... beat them?" she asked softly, haltingly.

The smile disappeared from his face at that, turning into a thoughtful frown as he contemplated his answer. After a few moments, still not looking at her, he replied, "Well... I don't really know. The fighters that were there... they were definitely stronger than me. I could tell that just by _looking_ at them."

That only intensified Mia's worry, but Isaac wasn't finished yet. Turning his head to look at her, with a small smile back on his face, he added, "But I have my psynergy, and they can't even see that." The smile widened slightly. "And when I asked Lord Babi about it afterwards... he said the rules didn't say anything about using my psynergy while I'm fighting. In fact, he said I should use it as much as I possibly can."

This didn't quite convince Mia, though. "Do you think that will be enough?" she asked softly, frowning worriedly.

Isaac's smile faded a bit. "Well," he replied, "the other guys are definitely not going to be expecting an earthquake during the middle of the fight." Now it was gone. "It all comes down to... whether or not I can keep them away long enough to use it, I guess."

Those odds weren't good enough for Mia. Feeling her breathing quicken slightly, she softly said, "Isaac..."

He apparently noticed how scared she was, because the expression on his face slowly melted into that concerned, compassionate one that warmed her heart so much. In fact, he looked _worried_ now... worried because she was, too. "Mia, what's wrong?" he asked slowly, carefully.

She looked away from him then, unable to face him when she was feeling so afraid. "Isaac..." she repeated, her expression desperate. "Do... do you really have to do this?"

"W-what do you mean?" Isaac replied after a moment, clearly not having expected such a question. Mia couldn't bring herself to explain, however, so after a moment she heard him help her, "Mia, what's going on?"

She looked up at him for a moment, her heart hammering, before her gaze dropped to her feet once again and she shook her head. "I... I-I'm just so scared..." she admitted, her voice a breathless whisper. "I-I don't know why, but... I don't want you to fight. I-I keep thinking something terrible is going to happen to you tomorrow if you fight in Colosso..."

She was expecting Isaac to say something to ease her fears, expecting him to do something that might help her feel better. She was confused, then, when for several seconds he did not respond. She turned to him to see what was happening, only to find him staring at her, stunned and blushing slightly. "I-Isaac?" she asked, now even more afraid for a different reason. "D-did I say something wrong?"

That seemed to break him out of his daze. "Oh... n-no," he responded awkwardly, shaking his head as if to clear it. "It's just..." His eyes flicked downwards for a moment before meeting hers again. "I don't understand it, but... I keep worrying that the same thing is going to happen..."

"Y-you do?" Mia asked almost incredulously. When he nodded slowly, a tiny bit of hope made itself evident in her eyes. Did he realize how dangerous it was, then? Did he realize that he didn't actually have to fight? "Isaac..." she whispered, "are you still going to compete, then?"

At that, Isaac let out a sigh and started scratching the back of his neck. He looked away. "Well... that's the thing," he answered; it seemed like he had been thinking about this for quite awhile. "Part of me is... really scared that something... bad... might happen," he explained, frowning. "But another part of me... well, it feels like I _have_ to do this."

Mia could feel her hope slowly fade away. "You... you _have_ to?" she asked softly, starting to panic. "But you _don't_ have to! Why?"

Isaac let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Well..." he began, "This probably isn't going to make much sense to you, but..." He looked up at her. "To me, this... this is like a way for me to see how strong I've become," he explained. "I-I know it sounds silly, but... I feel like I have to prove to myself that I can fight on my own."

"But you have _us_," Mia protested desperately. This wasn't working at all; why didn't he understand? "You don't need to do—"

"Mia, I know it might sound stupid, but that's really how I feel," Isaac interrupted her, his expression pained now. Looking as though he didn't want to have to say his next words to her, he continued, "This is something I have to do by myself... for myself. I need to know what I'm capable of if I want to beat Saturos and Menardi."

"But why _this_?" Mia demanded almost hysterically, her eyes shining with tears now. "I-Isaac, I'm really worried about you..."

"I-I know," Isaac responded gravely, the pain in his expression now making its way to his voice—he truly looked like he didn't want to say anything that might hurt her. "But I... I need to do this. I do."

There was nothing else she could say. "Isaac, _please_..." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she blinked them away harshly. No. _No_, she was _not_ going to cry. Not now. Not in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry, Mia," Isaac said softly, looking thoroughly disgusted with himself, but unable to do anything besides saying what he truly felt. "I really don't want to worry you, but—"

"_I don't want to lose you, Isaac!_"

No sooner had she uttered those words than she realized that they were the very last ones she had wanted to say. She could immediately feel herself blush profusely; how could she have been so foolish as to go and say something like that? She hadn't wanted to tell Isaac how much he meant to her, not just yet, not while she was still trying to figure out what she really felt for him...

But the words had already been spoken, and the damage had already been done. Isaac seemed to be able to do nothing but stare at her, completely stunned. Mia stared back at him desperately, wishing that he would say something, _anything_. At least so that she wouldn't feel so uncomfortable...

It seemed, however, that Isaac was too shocked by her words to speak. He just kept staring at her, blushing slightly, but completely silent. It was just too awkward for Mia, in her current state, to bear. She couldn't stay. She had to get away from him before she made things worse.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Isaac..." she whispered as she rose from his bed. When he still remained silent, that was when she knew that there was nothing she could do to rectify the situation. "I-I'll g-go now..."

Silently, she made her way to the door and opened it, before taking one last look back at him. She wanted him to call her name, to tell her to stay for just a little bit longer, to tell her that everything was okay. But he said nothing, so she quickly left and made her way back to her own room. It was only when she had opened the door and stepped inside that she realized that tears had been silently running down her face.

Mia would barely sleep at all that night.

* * *

I suppose I should say now that scenes with emotionally high-strung characters are not my forte. Still, as I read over this one again, I like what I see. What do you guys think? I'm a bit unsure of this chapter, so if you see something wrong, by all means let me know. 

Also, finals for me are coming up on May 18. If by chance I don't finish the next chapter by then, there's probably going to be a significant delay. However, because of this, I have extra incentive to finish the next chapter by three weeks from now, which is the 15th. Seeing as how I have yet to actually meet the three-week deadline I usually set, I'll be putting in more effort this time to get the next chapter out early. I have a little surprise planned for next chapter, so I'm going to try and write it as quickly as possible. :)

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter:** Isaac, Mia, Garet and Ivan  
**expect next chapter by: **May 15, at the latest May 22_


	6. Isaac, Mia, Garet & Ivan: Welcome Relief

Well would you look at that—I actually managed to get this chapter out in less than four weeks! And with finals looming, too. God knows how well I'm going to do on those now... Anyway, review responses have once again been sent out, with anonymous reviewer mentions going to _Insanity Team! (a.k.a. Violet)_ (btw, all I said was that I was currently studying Japanese—as you can see :P), _Anonymous_, and _Kodoku_.

This chapter is where things start to get a little bit interesting. :) Please be warned, though, that at a certain point in this chapter, you're probably going to get a bit confused as to what's going on. I will say that this is intentional, but you're not getting any more out of me than that until at least next chapter. :P Just don't let it worry you too much, as I'll explain everything in due time. Here we go with chapter 6!

_**chapter six**  
Isaac, Mia, Garet and Ivan  
**welcome relief**_

_The crowd's cheering rose louder, higher as the armored warrior continued to attack, moving with such speed that Isaac never even had a chance to strike. The blond boy felt himself being pushed back slowly as he blocked swing after swing, but so skilled was his opponent that by the time he had parried one blow he was already being forced to move to stop another._

_Had he been healthy and rested, blocking attacks wouldn't have been much of a problem. But after two grueling matches from which he only barely emerged the victor, Isaac was nearly at the point of collapse, and he knew it. His muscles strained as he fought to keep his sword against his opponent's, screaming at his mind to just let go, to give up. He didn't think he could keep going like this for much longer._

_The other warrior seemed to sense this, too. "Give it up, kid!" he yelled above the din of the crowd as their swords met again, pushing against each other for dominance. "You don't have a chance!"_

_But despite his body's protests, despite his mind telling him that he had reached his limit, Isaac wasn't about to give up, not when he still had one last trick up his sleeve. Abruptly he moved away and let his sword go, the sudden movement forcing his opponent forward as his weight and momentum carried him. Despite the temporary advantage, however, Isaac didn't press his chance to attack. He used the few moments he had to retreat to a safe distance, giving himself a few seconds to catch his breath._

_His opponent whirled around with his sword raised, ready to parry any incoming strike, but he lowered his arm as he realized that Isaac had moved away. "Come on, kid!" the warrior yelled at him, smirking condescendingly, and the crowd roared. "Aren't you even going to put up a fight?" The crowd roared even louder this time._

_It was the chance Isaac had been waiting for. He had seen that this warrior was the cocky type, and he wasn't about to let an opportunity like this go to waste. Raising his sword, he called upon whatever strength he had left in his body and mind and began focusing all of his efforts into a single spell. This warrior had yet to see the true power of his psynergy. He wouldn't be expecting a thing._

_His opponent brought his sword into a ready position as he saw Isaac raise his weapon, but when the blond boy did not strike, the smirk reappeared on his face. "Well?" he called out, grinning wickedly but making sure to keep his sword in place. "What the hell are you waiting for, kid? Hit me!"_

_Isaac didn't need any further provocation. Focusing all the power of his spell into his sword, he brought his weapon high over his head and leapt forward with all his might, swinging with all the power he could muster and yelling at the top of his lungs, "**RAGNAROK!**"_

_His opponent had more than enough time to see the powerful blow coming, and smirking all the while, he quickly jumped backwards, out of the way as Isaac landed. "Is that the best you can do, kid?" he yelled, eliciting more cheers from the crowd. "You're gonna have to—"_

_He never finished his sentence. Instead, the warrior's words turned to a cry of agony as without warning, a massive magical sword made of pure Venus psynergy suddenly hurtled over Isaac's head and plunged directly into his opponent's chest, throwing him back several feet. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the sword exploded, showering the already injured warrior with the raw power of the earth. The crowd's cheering suddenly became rather subdued as he screamed in pain, none of them able to see the spell or even understand what was happening. There was still the occasional shout from them, but most of the people in the stands were only able to stare wide-eyed at the spectacle before them, not even sure what to think._

_Then the spell ended, and Isaac nearly fell over on the spot. The Ragnarok was a technique he had experience with, having used it several times on his journey, but never before had he put such power into it, never before had he focused such energy into one single spell. He felt like his legs might collapse out from under him at any moment as he slowly stood up and made his way over to the other warrior, felt like his arms might fall off as he raised his sword slightly and pointed it at his opponent's neck. It took all his strength to keep himself from closing his eyes and submitting to the darkness, took everything he had to softly command his opponent, "Yield." His voice was barely above a whisper, but with the crowd's sudden quieting he was clearly audible to the other combatant._

_The warrior stared up at him with wide eyes, his expression a mixture of pain, astonishment and fear. "Th-... the hell'd you do, kid?" he asked weakly, clearly fighting unconsciousness as desperately as Isaac was. "What... what **was** that?"_

_But Isaac didn't have the strength to explain, nor did he think that the other warrior would understand. "Yield," he simply repeated, praying that his opponent would submit before the darkness claimed him. His wish was granted a moment later, as without a word, the other combatant's head fell back onto the ground, and with a long sigh, he fell unconscious._

_But unlike his other two matches, this time the audience didn't seem quite as excited, this time there was no roar from the crowd signifying the end of the fight. Lifting his head weakly, Isaac looked up at the stands, at the many figures all huddling together, whispering confusedly to each other. Though he couldn't hear any of them, he knew they were all asking each other the same thing: What had just happened?_

_The quiet was broken, however, as the sharp sound of someone applauding suddenly came from the center of the stands. The frail lord Babi had gotten up from his seat in his private box, grinning from ear to ear. "A splendid battle!" he called, clapping for Isaac vigorously. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Isaac of Vale—this year's Colosso champion!"_

_For a moment, it seemed to Isaac that every person in the audience was staring at Babi incredulously. Then, from somewhere in the stands, a cheer started. It was slow at first, almost uncertain, but no matter how confused the audience was, the evidence was right there in front of them in the arena: Isaac had won. Slowly the cheering grew, spread until everyone in the stands was yelling, chanting Isaac's name. Isaac smiled then, looking up at the heavens. He had won. He was battered, bruised, and about ready to collapse, but he had won. It was finally over._

_He could feel his grip on consciousness fading, but there was no need to fight it anymore. He was dimly aware of himself falling to his knees, his legs no longer possessing the strength to hold him up. He thought he heard a girl calling his name, but the voice sounded far away, as though in a dream. Then, all of a sudden, Mia was standing over him. Her expression was lined with worry, but Isaac couldn't see it. Instead, with her features glowing in the afternoon sun, to his fading senses, she looked simply dazzling._

_"Mia..." he heard himself say softly, as though he had spoken without his control. He managed to give her one last, broad smile before his hold on reality gave way completely. _

_She looked like an angel..._

-----

"Mia, I don't understand why you're so worried." Garet's voice, tinged with concern. "You said yourself that he was going to be okay."

"Oh, Garet, I know." Mia's voice, soft and shy. "I know he's fine, I healed him completely, I just..." A sigh. "Oh, I don't even know what it is I'm worried about. I just feel so nervous..."

"Well, he does have a point." Ivan's voice now, bright and cheerful. "You should be happy! I mean, Isaac just won _Colosso_!"

His vision was returning now, sharpening as he blinked his eyes open. Slowly, things were coming into focus. A large bed. Stone walls. He reached up to rub his eyes, and more things became clearer. Two figures at the foot of his bed, one tall, one short. Garet and Ivan. Both of them looking off to the side at something he couldn't see.

"Hey," Garet said abruptly, turning to look at Isaac. "I think he's waking up!"

Groaning, Isaac slowly sat up in his bed, finding it difficult to do so because his body felt like it weighed twice as much as usual. Rubbing his eyes again, he blinked and stared tiredly at Ivan and Garet. "... Where am I?" he asked softly, his brain feeling too groggy to be working completely yet.

Garet's face immediately split into a broad grin. "Babi's palace," he explained, staring at Isaac with an expression that bordered on admiration. "You did it, man," he added, his grin widening. "You were just incredible."

Isaac's memory wasn't working perfectly just yet, and he stared at his childhood friend in confusion. "What did I do?" he asked softly, still too tired to speak at a normal volume.

Both Garet and Ivan stared at him incredulously at that, as though they couldn't believe what he had just asked. The Jupiter Adept recovered first, grinning playfully. "Do you seriously not remember?" he asked, a slight sarcastic edge in his words.

"Not... not really," Isaac replied slowly, raising his eyebrow at his friends' expressions. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well you only just won _Colosso _yesterday!" Garet cried, almost laughing now. "Are you telling me that you actually forgot all about that?"

It was then that Isaac's memory began to return. Slowly the images filled his head, the obstacle courses, the fights, the final spell that had ended it all... Mia running towards him... it was all there. He remembered now... he had won.

He blinked, a small smile appearing on his face. "I... I did it," he said softly, more to himself than anyone else. "I... I actually won."

Ivan heard him, though. "Yeah, and with a Ragnarok that huge, I don't see how you could've lost," he said, grinning at Isaac with the same expression of admiration Garet had been giving him only moments earlier. "Did you see the crowd? When that sword hit him, they all went almost _silent_." He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "They didn't have a _clue_."

"Yeah, but we did," Garet added, his former expression returning. "That was just _amazing_, Isaac. I had no idea your psynergy had gotten that good."

Isaac blushed very slightly at that. Garet being the stubborn, I-need-to-show-I'm-better-than-you type of person that he was, a compliment like that was rare from him, and Isaac knew that him saying that was a sign that he meant every word. He looked down, absently scratching the back of his neck. "Oh... well..." he said softly, smiling slightly. "I... there's no way I could do that normally, I had to put all my strength into it—"

"Oh come on," Garet interrupted him, a smile on his face. "Don't try to act like it was nothing special, Isaac. It _was_ amazing, and you know it."

Isaac looked up at that, his smile widening. "Well... thanks, then," he replied softly, still a bit embarrassed. It was then, however, that he noticed that someone appeared to be missing. "Hey," he said, his smile fading slightly, "where's Mia?"

"Right here," Mia's shy, serene voice came from right next to him. Looking to his side, he found that the azure-haired girl had been standing over him the whole time, just outside of his field of vision. Isaac immediately felt rather foolish when he realized he hadn't noticed her at all, but that all disappeared when he looked up at Mia's face. The smile that graced her features at that moment was the most radiant one that Isaac had ever seen from her, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she stared at him with an expression that was a mixture of admiration, relief, and pure happiness.

And at that moment, Isaac could swear that Mia was the most beautiful girl he had ever met.

He couldn't help but smile at her then, and he managed to get out a rather sheepish "Hey" before she dashed forward and flung her arms around him, nearly knocking him over. Isaac tensed involuntarily at the contact, rather stunned by her sudden action, but he soon relaxed, slowly returning the embrace.

"You—big—_idiot_," she admonished him, her voice straining as she fought to keep her emotions from overwhelming her. She hugged him tightly, as though he might disappear if she let go. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again!"

As touching as it was that she was so worried about him, Isaac didn't really have time to think about it, as he was rather confused as to what he should do. He looked over at Garet and Ivan for support, but all they did was grin knowingly, which only caused him to blush rather profusely. Left without any other options, he patted Mia on the back rather awkwardly and looked away from the two boys, who were now looking like their birthdays had come early. "H-hey... it's okay," he said softly to her, in what he hoped was the most soothing voice he could muster. It _hurt_ him to see Mia like this, and at that moment he was ready to do anything to see her smile again... no matter what Garet or Ivan thought. "I'm all right now, aren't I?"

Sniffling, Mia drew away from him, her hand passing almost frantically under her eyes. "Oh, o-of course you're all right now," she replied, her voice still a bit unsteady. "B-but yesterday..." She sniffed, and her eyes glistened again, though she was still managing to keep her tears at bay. "I was so worried... I-I thought you had died."

"I... I'm sorry," Isaac replied slowly, staring at Mia helplessly. Images of their midnight conversation were still fresh in his mind. "I-I... I really didn't mean to worry you..."

"Well it's not like there was anything you could do about it," Ivan said abruptly, and both Isaac and Mia turned to him. "You gave _all_ of us quite a scare when you just fell over after that last battle. We thought that it might've been a bit too much for you."

"Yeah, but it was nothing that a good half-day of sleep couldn't fix," Garet added, laughing. "You were out like a candle, Isaac. We were worried that you might've been _killed_, and it turned out that you had just fallen asleep... in the middle of the arena!"

Isaac blinked at that. He turned to Mia, who was smiling slightly despite her current state, and upon seeing her smile he couldn't help but do the same. "Is that really what happened?" he asked, curious.

Mia nodded. "Yes, it is," she replied, smiling a little wider as she wiped her eyes again. "These two—" she indicated Ivan and Garet, "—seemed to think it was rather amusing, but... I was just relieved, to say the least."

"Hey, we were worried about him, too!" Garet insisted, sounding slightly hurt.

"Oh, I know you were, Garet," Mia responded, chuckling a little. "You just weren't the best at showing it, that's all."

Garet rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry if I didn't scream Isaac's name at the top of my lungs like you did," he countered, grinning slyly. "Since I guess that must be what you mean by 'showing it.'"

Both Isaac and Mia turned to look at each other simultaneously as he said that, the latter immediately going rather red. As their eyes met, however, Mia hastily averted her gaze. Isaac, for his part, wasn't quite sure what to think. Had she really been that scared about him? He knew that she had been worried about him fighting, but it still warmed his heart to know that she cared about him so much...

"A-... _anyway_," Mia said abruptly, clearly intent on changing the subject, "Lord Babi said that he wanted to see you as soon as possible, Isaac. Though personally, I think you need to stay in bed for today."

Isaac looked up at that, and he stared at Mia for a few moments before he realized that she was waiting for him to decide what to do. "O-oh, well..." he replied slowly, "i-if you think I should rest first..." His gaze flicked downwards before rising again to her eyes. "... Then I probably should."

Mia seemed rather pleased by his answer, which only served to warm Isaac's heart further. "Well, then," she said, turning to Ivan and Garet, "we should let him get some more sleep then, don't you think?"

Garet shrugged, smiling slightly. "Hey, I think he's slept enough," he replied, "but he's earned a rest." He turned to Isaac. "Sleep as long as you like, man. We'll get moving tomorrow."

Isaac smiled back at his friend, and Garet and Ivan turned to leave the room. As they reached the door, however, the Mars Adept suddenly turned around, though he wasn't looking at Isaac. "Hey, Mia, aren't you coming?" he asked, staring at where Mia was standing.

Isaac turned his head and found to his surprise that Mia hadn't moved. "Oh... I'll be there in a second," she replied, and Isaac suddenly noticed that her face seemed rather pink. "I-I just... want to make sure that Isaac's all right."

Garet raised an eyebrow at this, and it seemed to Isaac that he had some sort of witty reply to Mia's words ready, but he said nothing. Instead, he simply shrugged, though he grinned at her slyly. "Um, okay," was all he said before he turned and left, Ivan following closely behind him.

Isaac looked up at Mia then, his eyebrows raised. Truthfully, he didn't mind if Mia stayed with him—in fact, he welcomed the idea—but she had already said that he was perfectly okay. Mia, however, noticed his expression and smiled cutely, looking at the floor. Her face was definitely pink now.

Isaac couldn't help but smile slightly, though Mia's expression was making him feel slightly nervous for some unknown reason. "You don't need to check if I'm all right at all, do you?" he asked, with a playful tinge to his words.

Mia looked up at that, at the same time clasping her hands together near her waist in a way that, when combined with her smile and pink face, made her look absolutely adorable in Isaac's eyes. "Well... no, not really," she admitted, with the same playful tinge to her words as he had just used. She seemed slightly nervous as she glanced at the door, as though checking to see if Garet and Ivan were listening. "I-I just... I wanted to ask you something."

Isaac's first thought was that she wanted to ask about their conversation from the other night, but he quickly realized that she wouldn't be smiling like she was now if it had anything to do with that. His smile widening in response to hers, he raised his eyebrow and asked, "What is it?" He felt the small, inexplicable nervousness in his gut growing as he spoke, but he tried his best to ignore it.

Mia's pink face suddenly took on a more reddish color, though she continued to smile in that wonderfully cute, shy way that made her look so pretty. "W-well, I..." she began slowly, now seeming a lot more nervous than she had initially appeared, "... i-it's about... yesterday." She took a deep breath then, as though she had to will herself to continue, and her eyes fell to the floor. "I-I was just wondering if..." She swallowed hard, and looked up, her expression full of hope. "Did... did you mean what you said yesterday?" she asked softly, still smiling broadly. "About... a-about... me?"

Isaac's nervousness suddenly vanished then, and confusion quickly replaced it. He didn't remember saying _anything_ to Mia yesterday—in fact, he had felt it would have been too awkward to talk to her after their conversation from the night before. "Huh?" he asked, staring at Mia inquisitively. "What do you mean?"

Mia's smile faltered then, and despite his confusion Isaac couldn't help but feel as though he had just said the wrong thing. She stared at him almost incredulously, with the same look that Ivan and Garet had given him when he had said that he couldn't remember winning Colosso. "Don't... don't you remember?" she asked, no longer smiling. "Right before you collapsed, y-you said—" Then, as though realizing what she was about to tell him, she suddenly froze, her expression slowly changing into something that bordered on heartbreak. "N-... never mind," she said after a few moments, looking away from him. "I-It's nothing."

But Isaac could clearly see from her expression that whatever he had said was far more than "nothing" to her. "Mia, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "I don't understand—what did I say?"

Mia shook her head vigorously at that, her eyes suddenly glistening again. "N-no, really... i-it's nothing," she insisted, though she seemed to be making a point of not looking at him. She was trembling. Without even waiting for him to reply, she suddenly turned towards the door and shakily added, "Don't... don't worry about it. I-I'm fine."

And without warning, she suddenly dashed to the door without another word. "Mia, wait," Isaac called desperately, but she didn't listen, stepping out the door and nearly slamming it closed.

"Damn it," Isaac cursed under his breath, letting himself fall back onto his pillow. Only one thought ran through his head as he lay there: what had he just done?

* * *

So, what exactly _did_ Isaac say to Mia before he collapsed? Well, that's a secret for now. ;P I will tell you, though, that if you were paying attention, the gist of it should be rather obvious... 

Anyway... what did you guys think of this chapter? I know I tell you guys to point out any problems that you see every chapter, but really, I would really appreciate it if you guys would take the time to write down a review that contains more than just "this is great!" or "this sucks!" As I've said before, if you guys don't tell me what I can improve, then I can't work on it. So please, let me know what you like and what you don't.

Anyway, until next time...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Mia and Garet  
**expect next chapter by: **June 6, at the latest June 13_


	7. Mia and Garet: Uncomfortable Secrets

You know what? Having a full-time summer job sucks. A lot. That's all I'm going to say on that.

Heh, well, I have to say I'm surprised by the amount of people who guessed that Isaac told Mia, "You look like an angel." I suppose that's what I get for putting that line in there, but it really was just for effect, to be honest. For those of you that thought that: well, you're close, but those weren't quite exactly the words I had in mind. ;) Just so you know, you guys shouldn't really expect the characters saying overly dramatic lines like that in my stories, as I _hate hate hate _making dialogue any cheesier than I have to. :P

So what were Isaac's actual words? Well, there's no need to guess again, as that question will be answered very shortly. For now, review responses are once again out on time, with anonymous review thanks this time going to _Smiley)_, _Insanity Team! (a.k.a. Violet)_, _Kodoku_, and _Alex Staszewski_. And now, chapter 7...

_**chapter seven**  
Mia and Garet  
**uncomfortable secrets**_

_She was so scared._

_Garet and Ivan were beside her, cheering like maniacs, shouting Isaac's name as the battle raged on, but Mia's mind had long since blocked out their voices._

_And the rest of the crowd... the rest of the crowd was absolutely barbaric, yelling and screaming things that went against everything Mia believed in as a healer. The voices yelled for Isaac, the voices yelled for his opponent, the voices didn't care for whom they were yelling because to them, it didn't matter who won or lost. Come on, hit him, they screamed, slice him open, kill him. It didn't matter which combatant got hit or sliced open or killed. They just wanted to see violence and bloodshed and they wanted to see it now._

_But she wasn't able to hear them now, either. Isaac was fighting now, and her attention was on him and only him._

_She had been listening to them before, when Isaac hadn't been the one fighting. She had wanted to vomit. Hearing what they had to say made her physically ill._

_She hated this stupid competition, this Colosso. She hated the needless violence, the pointless bloodshed. She hated the crowd for wanting to see it. She hated the other warriors for wanting to compete in it. She hated everything about it. She wished it had never existed._

_And she wanted to leave, wanted to get as far away from this competition as possible. But she knew she couldn't—and wouldn't—because Isaac had gotten caught up in it, and she would never even dream of abandoning him for any reason. This was for Isaac, she told herself as she sat there, watching without a word even as everyone around her screamed like crazy. This was for Isaac, because this was the only thing she could do to support him. He was fighting now because, as he had said the previous night, he wanted to know for sure how strong he was. So she had to be strong as well, for his sake._

_Tears were blurring her vision for what felt like the millionth time, but she blinked them away as best she could. She was not going to cry. She was going to be strong, for him._

_It was a terrible feeling, though, having to just sit there helplessly while Isaac fought for his life, knowing there was nothing she could do even as he continued getting beaten back by the other, clearly stronger warrior. She wanted to help him. Oh, how she wanted to help him. It was taking every last ounce of restraint that she had to keep herself from jumping into the battlefield and pouring her strongest healing energies into him until her psynergy ran dry._

_But she knew that this was Isaac's fight, and his alone. She could probably heal him from where she sat—she could, she knew she could, but she wasn't going to, because he would most likely never forgive her for it. This was his fight, his way of testing his own strength, and if she were to aid him, then what would that prove? That he was unable to win without her help? A part of her wanted that to be true, wanted him to need her around, but this wasn't about her now. It was about Isaac and what he had to prove to himself, by himself._

_And so there was nothing she could do but sit and watch._

_She was so scared._

_Her heart clenched painfully every time their swords met, her breath caught in her throat every time it looked like Isaac might not be able to block the other warrior. Oh, why did he have to do this to her? She wanted to cheer for him, to yell his name just like Garet and Ivan were doing, but the fear in her gut made it impossible for her to speak at all. She could only sit there silently, wondering if this time, Isaac would be able to win._

_He had already frightened her enough in his first two fights, but now, not only did he have to face a much stronger warrior, but he had to go into battle exhausted, as well. It was a miracle that he had even fought for this long. He looked like he could fall over at any moment, and yet somehow, he was still standing. His opponent was clearly the stronger one, and yet somehow Isaac had managed to fend him off, somehow he had managed to escape with only small cuts and scratches despite his opponent's powerful blows._

_She would have felt proud of him if she hadn't been so afraid._

_And now their swords were meeting again, now she was unable to breathe as they pushed against each other, each straining to hold the other away. She covered her mouth with her hands, hoping beyond hope that Isaac might be able to keep his blade where it was. He didn't look like he would be able to hold on much longer._

_Then Isaac suddenly let go, but not quite in the way that Mia had been expecting. She let out an explosive breath as Isaac moved away from his opponent's sword, as the other warrior was pitched forward by his momentum. She heaved a sigh of relief as Isaac retreated, giving himself—and her, though he didn't know it—time to catch their breaths._

_The other warrior said something then, but Mia couldn't hear it, her attention was focused solely on Isaac. He didn't seem to be listening to his opponent, either, as she could see the telltale golden glow forming around him that meant he was focusing his psynergy. And all of a sudden, things seemed to be swinging in Isaac's favor. She knew that his opponent couldn't tell what Isaac was doing, and that meant he had time for one good surprise attack._

_It seemed that Isaac knew this as well, as the golden glow traveled from him into his sword, and then he leapt forward and called forth the largest Ragnarok she had ever seen. Her eyes widened as the massive magical sword drove through the other warrior's body—she had had no idea that Isaac's psynergy was this powerful. Then the sword exploded, and she actually had to shield her eyes, so bright was the glow._

_When she was able to see the battle again, Isaac was the only one standing._

_She could feel the hope suddenly surge up her body as Isaac staggered over to where the other warrior lay, as he pointed his sword at his opponent's throat. She was still scared, so scared, but she couldn't help but admire his determination. He was hurt, he was exhausted, she could see it, but he was still standing._

_And he had won. The other warrior fell unconscious, and Mia could feel all the fear suddenly drain out of her. Suddenly she could hear the crowd again, suddenly she could feel her heart swell with relief, with pride, with pure happiness as she heard them cheer, cheer for **him**. It was over... he had won. Isaac, the wonderful, wonderful boy she had secretly fallen for, had won Colosso._

_She sniffed, trying so hard to keep away the tears that had already gathered in her eyes as he looked up at the sky and smiled. It was heaven, compared to the hell she had just been through. The feeling—there were no words to describe it. She felt like she was floating on air, like she could just jump into the field and kiss him and not care at all about the consequences._

_But that was when he fell to his knees._

_"**ISAAC!**"_

_And then it was gone, her relief was gone, vanished, and once again there was only fear. In a flash, without even being fully aware of what she was doing, she was over the railing, on the field and running towards him as fast as her legs could carry her. Not now... she'd be damned if she let anything happen to him now, after he had already won. He was going to live. She was going to make sure of it._

_She called forth her healing energies as she ran, without thinking she drew upon all the power that she could muster and sent it all towards him. And then she was standing over him, her heart hammering wildly. Was he all right? He seemed okay, seemed healthy enough, but there was no way to be sure just yet._

_He seemed to notice her then, and he looked up at her with an almost dreamy look in his crystal-blue eyes. And he smiled at her, smiled more broadly than anything she had ever seen from him. "Mia..." he said softly, just barely loud enough for her to hear over the crowd._

_But she paid no attention; she was too focused on checking to see if he was all right. "Isaac," she choked out, sniffling as she took his hand in hers, closing her eyes and using her powers to feel for his vital signs. "Please be okay."_

_And it seemed he was. His heartbeat was quick, but strong, and his lungs were working normally, taking in deep, full breaths. But before the relief could set in, before she could even open her eyes, he spoke again. This time, what he said got her full attention. This time, what he said nearly stopped her heart completely._

_"You're so beautiful..."_

_At those words, her eyes instantly snapped open. She was able to look into his eyes for one moment, one second, and in his eyes, in those crystal-blue depths, she saw nothing but absolute sincerity._

_"I-I-Isaac..." she whispered, feeling her face instantly burn crimson._

_And then he fainted._

_She was dimly aware of his hand falling limply from hers, of Garet and Ivan running up behind her, asking if Isaac was all right. Her mind, however, didn't seem to be processing anything correctly at that moment. Stunned beyond belief, she could only stare at Isaac's unconscious form silently, her brain trying desperately to comprehend what had just happened._

_Beautiful?_

_He thought she was... beautiful?_

-----

It was a general agreement among Mia and her friends that when any one of them had to be the night watch—they had decided to have three people keep watch at different parts of the night, and to have the roles switch each day—the first watch was unquestionably the best of the three. It was a boring task to stay awake and alert during any of the watches, to be sure, but at least one didn't have to wake up at the start of the first one. Whoever had first watch on a given night had a nice chance to just sit and think about things, without the grogginess and muddling of thoughts that the second and third watches inevitably brought on.

Like her friends, Mia, of course, liked _not_ having watch duty best of all, but she had a certain fondness for the first watch when it was her turn for it. Considering how hectic things could get during the day, it was nice for her to have some time to just sit and gather her thoughts every once in awhile during the quiet nights on the plains. Usually, it was a time for her to contemplate the group's plans for the next few days, or to worry about whether she had healed her friends' injuries well enough, or to wonder if there was anything she could do to help herself fight alongside her companions more effectively.

Tonight, however, as she sat and stared into the campfire, there was only one thing she could think about.

Mia had never thought of herself as beautiful. Pretty, maybe, moderately attractive, perhaps, but though she was perfectly happy with the way she looked, she had never considered herself to be anything special when it came to her appearance. Boys had never flocked to her the way they had followed around some of the most attractive girls in Imil, and they certainly had never made a point to call her beautiful or anything of the sort, save a few offhand comments from Alex—though, knowing what she now knew about him, the liar probably hadn't meant a word of it. She was just another plain face in the crowd in that regard, just another girl.

That was probably why she had been so shocked four days ago, at the end of Colosso.

As odd as it made her feel now, Mia had to admit that the rest of that day had probably been some of the most blissful hours of her life. To hear Isaac, the boy she liked so much, say something like _that_... well, it was impossible to put in words how wonderful it had made her feel, once his words had finally set in. She remembered that she had spent the rest of that day as though in a dream, relishing the way her heart fluttered with happiness whenever she recalled what he had said about her. Several times she had broken into a spontaneous smile as the memory replayed itself in her head, which had prompted many confused looks from Ivan and Garet, but she was too happy to care.

And she remembered, as well, that on that day, for once... she had felt so _confident_ that she could tell him how she felt about him without fear, at least, when he woke up. She had been so _convinced_ that day that he just _had_ to like her back—after all, why else would he ever say _anything_ like that about her, directly to her face? She had been unable to sleep that night... she had told herself, at some point that day, that as soon as he woke up, as soon as she got a chance to talk to him alone, she was going to tell him how she felt, and she had been too excited and nervous from the thought of that to even think of closing her eyes. She had only been able to lie awake in her bed, blissfully fantasizing about what might happen the next day, when she spoke with him.

But the next day, three days ago, he had brought everything crashing down.

She frowned as she gazed into the fire. Hindsight was always perfect—when she looked back on it now, she knew that she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up as high as she had. It was stupid, to think that Isaac might have actually remembered what he had said, especially when she considered how he had looked when he had said it. He had been absolutely exhausted when he had said that to her, and for all she knew he could have been delirious from fighting for so long. For all she knew, he might not have meant it at all.

She sighed, sadly. And yet she couldn't just forget what had happened, couldn't just tell herself that Isaac hadn't meant what he had said. Despite all the evidence against it, despite everything telling her that what had happened had been a mistake, there was still a faint glimmer of hope in her mind that maybe... maybe he really had meant it. Above all she remembered his eyes, how he had just looked so _sincere_ when he had said that. Maybe... it was certainly possible... maybe he really did think she was beautiful.

But she knew that she could never tell him what had happened.

To say that things were awkward between her and Isaac now would have been a tremendous understatement—they barely even spoke to each other. She still liked him, still liked him a lot, but she couldn't even look at him now without memories of what he had said appearing in her mind, and it seemed he could sense this, as he had kept his distance for most of the past three days. It was a terrible feeling, though, not just because she knew she was driving him away, but because she knew the only way that she could possibly mend things between them would be to tell him what he had said. And she knew she couldn't do that, never.

He had asked about it, of course, many times—it was all he would ever speak to her about, now. It didn't matter whether or not he actually thought she was beautiful—either way, Mia knew that Isaac still cared for her, and she knew that he could see how troubled she was. And it was so hard to lie to him, because every time he looked at her with that concerned expression of his, she thought she might melt. But she couldn't tell him. Every time he asked her... it was nothing, she had said. No big deal. Don't worry about it. It's fine.

It wasn't that she wanted to lie to him. She didn't. She wanted nothing more to just tell him what had happened and end this stupid awkwardness between them. But how could she explain to him what had happened without making things _more_ awkward? How could she possibly tell him that he had called her beautiful, and still expect their friendship to remain the same way?

She knew there was a chance that telling him might be a good thing, that it might make him admit that he had really meant it. But was it really worth the risk? Was it really worth the chance that she might find out he hadn't actually meant what he had said about her? It was better this way, at least, when she could still feel that faint glimmer of hope in her mind. It was difficult, to be sure, not being able to really talk to Isaac, but it couldn't last forever. He would forget about what had happened, eventually...

A rustle from one of the tents beside her suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head towards the source of the sound. It wasn't uncommon for Mia to hear sounds like this during watch duty, as her friends often shifted in their sleep. Still, there were creatures of the night that liked to sneak into the tents, so she always had to remain vigilant for that possibility.

What she found, however, was that it was neither of those things. Instead, she found Garet exiting his tent, dressed in his sleeping clothes: a light, red shirt and brown shorts. His eyes met hers, and he gave her a small, tired smile. "Hey," he said.

Mia might not have held the same affection for him as she did for Isaac, but Garet was still a dear friend to her, and he was probably the best person she could talk to, at least right now. She didn't know how he did it, but Garet had a remarkable ability to cheer her and her friends up whenever he felt they needed it. She knew she couldn't forget about it completely, but with Garet here she knew she could think about something besides Isaac... at least for a little while.

She smiled back at him slightly. "Hello," she replied warmly. "What are you doing up? Your watch isn't for another few hours."

"What, so I'm not allowed to talk to you, then?" he asked with a playful smirk, walking over to her and sitting down beside her. "That hurts, Mia."

She rolled her eyes at him, but she smiled nonetheless. That was just how Garet was, after all, turning everything he could into a joke. Still, she wasn't about to let him get away with that one. "Of course you're _allowed_ to talk to me," she replied jokingly. "But just think about it—you could be _sleeping_." If there was anything Garet complained about, it was that the group woke up too early in the morning for him to get enough sleep. She knew that he really didn't mean it, as the four of them were rather pressed for time, but it had nevertheless become a running joke between them.

It seemed that Garet was ready for her, though. "Oh, you've caught me," he said mock-melodramatically, putting a hand to his heart. "I admit it, Mia—I just couldn't stop thinking about you."

Mia couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculousness of the situation. Oh, it was odd, all right, but this was exactly what she needed—a way to just forget about everything that was troubling her for a little while. Deciding to play along, she smirked at him and replied, "Well, I'm sorry, Garet, but I just don't feel that way about you."

Garet's charade instantly ended at that, and a mischievous glint suddenly manifested itself in his eyes. "Yeah, I know," he responded, smiling at her slyly. "You just like Isaac too much, huh?"

Mia opened her mouth to respond, but then realized what he had said and blushed profusely, her face falling. He had been waiting for that, hadn't he? "Garet..." she said softly, staring into the campfire. "I-I don't... really want to talk about Isaac right now."

"Well, Mia... that's exactly who I wanted to talk to you about, actually," Garet said, suddenly sounding a lot more serious than he previously had. "You and him have been acting really weird lately."

Wonderful. She had thought that talking to Garet would help her forget about Isaac for awhile, but no—that was exactly the person he wanted to talk to her about. She looked up at him, frowning, her face still rather red. "Garet, I..." she softly, shyly began, "I-I don't know if I can... talk to you about that..."

Garet just gave her a skeptical look. "Oh, come on, Mia, it can't be _that_ bad," he remarked, frowning at her slightly. He sighed, sounding almost exasperated. "Look," he continued, staring directly into her eyes, "I don't know what happened between you two, but whatever it is, Isaac's been beating himself up pretty badly for it."

Mia's face fell again as a wave of guilt washed over her. Was Garet _trying_ to make her feel terrible? She knew Isaac was worried for her, and she hated herself for it, but hearing _Garet_ say it that way made it sound ten times worse. "Garet..." she whispered, staring at her feet, "please..."

He didn't give her a chance to finish. "Can you at least tell me what's going on?" he cut her off, his voice surprisingly heated. "I don't like seeing Isaac like this. It's not like him."

She looked up at him, her expression pained. "Garet..." she whispered, her eyes pleading with him, "I... I can't..." Oh, she _could_ tell him, she knew she could, but if he knew what had happened, then she knew he would tell Isaac about it. She didn't want that, didn't want to make things worse between them...

"Mia..." he replied, softly. He stared at her for a moment, frowning, before he brought his hands to his face in frustration. "Can't you just talk to him, or something? He's really worried—"

"Can we please not talk about this?" Mia suddenly interrupted, causing him to look up. This was too much... she had already had to mull over this enough. She didn't want to think about Isaac any more, not now...

Garet stared at her for a long while. Finally, thankfully, he seemed to decide that talking to her was pointless, and he stood up, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. "... If that's what you want," he replied after a moment, frowning. "Just... just talk to Isaac, okay? I hate having to watch him mope around all the time."

And with that, he turned and headed back into his tent, leaving Mia alone with her thoughts once again.

She bit her lip. She just wished there was something she could _do_...

* * *

... Well, that conversation ended up a lot shorter than I first thought it would be.

Anyway... eurgh. I hate to say it, but I don't like this chapter. It was necessary, I guess, but I just feel like I didn't advance the plot at all. I do like the part at the beginning for some reason, though. What do you guys think of this chapter?

Also, in about a week, my family and I are going on vacation for a little while. I will be taking my computer with me on the trip, but since it is a vacation I have no idea how much or how little I'll be able to write while I'm away. For that reason, I can't really give you guys an accurate date for when the next chapter will come out. I can give you an "at the latest" date, but its just that—at the latest. I might end up finishing the next chapter two weeks before then, for all I know, so don't automatically think you're going to have to wait a long time. :P Actually, I'm planning to introduce another mini-plot in the chapter eight, so I'm rather eager to get working on it. But for now...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Isaac and Ivan  
**expect next chapter by: **at the latest July 25_


	8. Isaac and Ivan: Terrible Premonition

Well, I'm back from my vacation, and I have one piece of advice I'd like to share with you all: never fly Alitalia. Honestly, my trip was just great, but I don't know how that airline stays in business with all the stuff they messed up, most notably managing to leave my luggage in Rome for a day (though, thankfully, I did get it back). And now, I'm back to my summer job and hating every minute of it as usual. It's times like these when I love writing this story, as it takes my mind off everything else. :D

I guess I should take back what I said about adding a new "mini-plot" to the story in this chapter—now that I've thought more about what I plan to do with it, I've realized the plot element I'm about to introduce here is going to have an enormous impact on the story as a whole. As such, I can't really call it a "mini-plot." :P But what is this plot element I'm talking about? Well, you're going to have to wait a bit to find out. I do hope, though, that it will take at least a few of you by surprise. :) Though knowing how bad I am at keeping things hidden from you guys, you'll probably guess it just from the chapter title.

Anyway, anonymous reviewer thanks for this chapter go out to _Arima_, _Kodoku_, _Random Reader_, _alex staszewski_, and _Isaac_. That's odd, where has Violet gotten off to? Oh well... review responses are out for the rest of you guys; now, enjoy chapter 8!

_**chapter eight**  
Isaac and Ivan_  
**_terrible premonition_**

Isaac couldn't sleep.

It was very strange, to think that a land that was so blisteringly hot during the day could get almost as cold as the northern snowfields at night. Isaac had already felt this phenomenon in the sands of the Lamakan desert, yet even now it never failed to surprise him. The denizens of the town of Suhalla, however, were well acquainted with the vast temperature changes of their homeland, and they had designed their inn's rooms accordingly. Isaac couldn't feel any of the cold pervading the room under the thick woolen blanket that had been provided for him; in fact, he felt rather warm and comfortable despite the freezing temperatures outside. Under normal circumstances he would've been asleep in seconds, relishing the chance for a good night's rest after a week of sleeping in a small, cramped tent.

Tonight, though, his thoughts about a certain blue-eyed girl were making that impossible.

The moonlight shone through the windows of the plain room, illuminating everything around him with a pale blue glow. Isaac's attention, however, was only on the girl lying in the bed a few feet away from him. Only her head and the very top of her nearly-white nightdress were visible from under her blanket, and yet still the sight of her had completely enraptured him. The moonlight highlighted her pale skin and made her long, azure hair seem to glow with an inner light that made her appear almost ethereal.

He couldn't help himself. He was staring at her. He knew he was staring and he knew he shouldn't, but she was asleep and didn't know and she looked so utterly _beautiful_ that he just couldn't take his eyes off her.

He just wished he knew what he had said to her.

Isaac sighed as he rolled over in his bed, so that he was staring at the ceiling. It had now been eight days since Colosso, a week since the incident that had sparked this strange discomfort between him and Mia, and yet even now he still had no idea what he had said to her to make her so upset. She had tried her best to hide it over the past week, tried her best to act as though nothing had happened—she certainly wasn't the type to mope around about anything, after all, even if something _was_ wrong—but it was plain as day to Isaac that something was troubling her deeply, and he knew it had at least something to do with whatever he had said to her at Colosso.

He frowned as images of the azure-haired girl entered his mind. It was almost unbearable for him to see Mia like this, not just because he knew it was his fault, but because he didn't know what, if anything, he could do to make her feel better. Without the knowledge of what exactly it was that was troubling her, he could do nothing but ask her if everything was all right, if there was anything he could do to help. And he had asked, many times, at least for the first few days—it was all he could ever speak to her about, now, since she was always silent around him otherwise.

But she had always waved him off, had always told him that she was perfectly fine with a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. That, Isaac felt, was even worse to see; it was one thing for Mia to be upset at him, but another thing entirely for her to be so upset that she wouldn't even let him try to fix his mistake. It made him feel so guilty, in fact, that a few days ago he had reluctantly given up on trying to force her troubles out of her. After all, he had figured... it was clear that she didn't want to talk about it, so what right did he have to keep bringing the matter up and reminding her of whatever it was that was bothering her? It was difficult, to be sure, since Mia wouldn't really speak to him now, but what else could he do? What other choice did he have?

Isaac let out another sigh, covering his face with his hands. How, he wondered hopelessly, could he have ruined his friendship with Mia so badly? Before Colosso she had been so kind, so compassionate that he had started to hope that maybe she was fond of him, just as he was fond of her. He still remembered how worried she had been about him the night before the competition, that passionate cry that she didn't want to lose him. He still remembered how ecstatic she had been for him after he had won, how utterly adorable she had looked right before he had gone and screwed everything up. Now, however... now the kind, gentle healer from Imil was cold and distant towards him, barely speaking, never smiling her pretty smile that had always been able to put him at ease. If she did ever smile at him, it was always a weak little thing that looked like it might shatter into pieces if he said so much as a word to her.

And it _hurt_, hurt worse than any strike from a sword.

That was the one thing Isaac still couldn't understand—why did it hurt so badly to see her so troubled? He did like her a lot, had felt that way about her for awhile, but nonetheless he had to admit that there were more important things—his journey, for example—on which he should have been focusing his thoughts. Why was it, then, that Mia's feelings always seemed to be at the forefront of his mind? When had she become so important to him that even seeing her the slightest bit sad made him feel terrible?

The only explanation he could offer himself was that his feelings for her had grown without him knowing it, but that was just ridiculous—how could that have happened? The only other time he had had feelings for a girl—Jenna—that affection had taken _years_ to develop, and even then it had just turned out to be a silly crush, nothing real. Mia was a very different girl compared to Jenna, that much was true, but he had only known her for two and a half months! He couldn't possibly feel that strongly for her, not after such a short period of time...

But why, then, argued another voice in his head, did it hurt so much to see her like this? While the logical, rational part of his mind was telling him that it couldn't be, that it wasn't possible, his heart was telling him otherwise, telling him that the emotions he felt when she was around were too powerful to simply be dismissed as nothing. He still remembered the strange, nervous feeling he got when she was near, still remembered how his heart started racing whenever she smiled that pretty smile of hers. He still remembered how much he enjoyed talking with her, laughing with her, still remembered how nice it felt to simply know that she was there, always willing to listen to him and to help him in any way that she could. He could only remember those feelings, though, because ever since Colosso, ever since he had caused this discomfort between him and Mia, he hadn't felt any of them.

He glanced again at the other bed. She was still sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to his inner turmoil. And she still looked just as beautiful as ever.

He frowned, thoughtfully. He _did_ like her, as something more than just a close friend... and even the logical part of his mind couldn't argue with that. She was the nicest, kindest and most compassionate girl he had ever met, and he couldn't deny that he dearly wanted to once again feel the emotions she had sparked within him before Colosso. But could his affection for her really have grown that much without his knowledge? Could he really already feel so strongly for her in such a short time? That couldn't possibly be the case; it wasn't like he was falling in—

But before Isaac could ponder his feelings any further, a sudden knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts with a start. Slowly, he sat up and his head turned towards the door, his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. Why would anyone be knocking now, at this time of night? He hadn't been hearing things, had he?

For a few seconds there was silence, and Isaac was just about to lie back down on his bed when a second, more insistent knock confirmed that there was actually someone outside his room. He heard Mia let out a quiet murmur from behind him and he glanced back at her; she still seemed to be asleep. As he looked at her, though, he was suddenly reminded of the night before Colosso, when she had come to his room, worried sick over what might happen to him the following day. She had been so kind to him then... what could he possibly have said to her to make her change so much?

Frowning, he pushed the thought out of his mind. If someone was knocking now, then whatever that person had to say was probably important. Turning away from Mia, he got out of bed, wincing slightly at the cold air that he had previously been unable to feel, and slowly made his way to the door. Idly, he wondered who would need to talk to him so badly at this time of night. He hoped nothing had happened...

The moment he opened the door, however, he immediately knew that something was wrong. Ivan stood before him with his arms hugged tightly to his chest, staring at the floor, his whole body trembling wildly.

As his eyes widened in fear, Isaac desperately hoped it was the cold air that was making Ivan shiver so badly.

But the young Jupiter Adept looked up, and there could then be no doubt that Ivan had seen something terrible, something horrifying. His entire face was ashen, and his violet eyes were wide with a terror the likes of which Isaac had never seen before. His breathing was short and ragged, and he stared up at him with an expression that was a mixture of fear, desperation, and pure hopelessness.

Something was _very_ wrong.

"I-Isaac..." Ivan whispered, his voice hushed, panicked.

"Ivan?" Isaac cried out fearfully, forgetting momentarily that Mia was still fast asleep right behind him. "W-what's going on?"

But Ivan didn't reply immediately; instead, he grabbed Isaac's arm and pulled him out of the room and into the inn's hallway with a surprising force. Isaac and Mia's room was situated at the end of the long, narrow hall, right next to a window that illuminated the area with the pale blue glow of the moon. Without a word, Ivan led Isaac all the way down the hall to the other end, where another window was placed. The Venus Adept nearly had to run behind him, so hurriedly was the younger boy moving. What had happened?

Finally they stopped, and Ivan quickly stole a glance down the hall, as though checking to see if anyone was listening. Isaac could only stare at him with a mixture of fear and confusion as the younger boy turned back to him and looked up, his expression the same as it had been when Isaac first opened the door of his room.

"Isaac..." he whispered again, horror still lacing his voice. "I... I-I..."

But it seemed that whatever had happened either had robbed him of his ability to speak, or was simply too terrible for words. Unable to continue, Ivan could only stare at Isaac for a long moment, his expression one of utter despair. Then, without warning, he let out a long, sorrowful moan and buried his face in his hands.

Ivan was crying.

Isaac could feel the fear and uncertainty slowly creeping up his body, threatening to consume him as he stared at the younger boy dumbly. Though Ivan could appear somewhat immature at times, Isaac had _never_ seen him cry before, not over anything. And if he was crying now, then something truly horrific must have happened, something must have terrified him beyond belief. Isaac wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what had happened now, not if it had made his friend react like this...

But he had to know. "Ivan..." he said softly after a moment, just loud enough to be heard over the Jupiter Adept's sobs. "What's going on?" he asked slowly, uncertainly. "W-what happened?"

Slowly, very slowly, the younger boy looked up, his breath hitching as he fought to get his voice under control. He could not, however, stop the tears from streaming down his face as he stared at the Venus Adept, looking as though he would rather do anything in the world than tell him what he was about to say. "Isaac..." he whispered for the third time. He paused for a moment, choking back a sob, and then, with a deep breath, Ivan said four words that were worse than anything Isaac could ever have expected.

"Mia's going to die."

And then, for a few moments, there was absolute silence.

Isaac's mouth immediately fell open at Ivan's words. He felt like someone had punched him in the gut, like all the air had suddenly been crushed from his lungs. "W-... what?" he whispered softly, hoping beyond hope that he hadn't heard the younger boy correctly. He couldn't have said what he thought he had, just couldn't have...

But it only took one look at Isaac's horrified expression to make Ivan lose all traces of his composure. "S-she's going to d-die," he wailed, tears springing forth anew from his eyes as he buried his face in his hands once again. "I-I s-saw it..." he sobbed, shaking his head vigorously as though he might be able to dislodge the memory from his mind if he shook it hard enough. "I-I... I-I..." He couldn't get any further than that. The rest of his words dissolved into incomprehensibility.

Isaac couldn't breathe; it felt like he was being strangled.

This couldn't be happening.

It simply wasn't possible.

"W-what... what do you mean, you 'saw it?'" he demanded desperately. Master Hama had said Jupiter Adepts were able to see the future, but Ivan had never learned that power. He hadn't even known it _existed_ until a few weeks ago. How could he have possibly seen something like this? He must have imagined it; there was no way that he could have actually foreseen anything, let alone Mia...

But Ivan's reply was anything but encouraging. "I-I... I-I'm s-sorry, Isaac..." he sobbed, his hands still covering his face. He said something more, but it was muffled, inaudible. Once again, his words blurred together, to the point where the Venus Adept couldn't understand anything he was saying.

And there was nothing more that he could say, nothing more that he could think to deny what Ivan was telling him. Slowly, very slowly, Isaac realized... this was no joke. Ivan wouldn't react like this if he hadn't really had a premonition; he must have... must have...

"No..." Isaac whispered helplessly, slumping against the wall.

This couldn't be happening.

It simply wasn't possible.

"W-why?" Isaac whispered softly, despairingly, his crystal-blue eyes pleading with the younger boy even though he couldn't see his face. He strained to hold back tears, but the cold, numb feeling of hopelessness that was slowly spreading through his body was making that very difficult. "W-why a-are you telling me this?" he asked.

But Ivan didn't reply, nor did it appear that he could say anything even if he wanted to. He could only continue crying into his hands, unable to stop.

_How?_ Isaac wondered. There were so many things that he wanted to ask the Jupiter Adept. How was it going to happen? When was it going to happen? And most importantly, what could he do to stop it from happening? But Ivan was in no shape to answer any of those questions, and even then Isaac didn't think that he knew the answers to any of them.

Still... there had to be _something_ he could do!

He could protect her. Mia wasn't much of a physical fighter, preferring instead to stand back and use her psynergy while he and Garet kept monsters away from her and Ivan. And for the most part, so far, Isaac had succeeded. Mia had only rarely had to resort to using her staff as a weapon, and even when she had, she had walked away with only minor injuries at worst. But what if some monster got past him, one that was too strong for Mia to handle?

Slowly, he slid further down the wall.

He could heal her, too. He knew many healing spells, and had used several of them on Mia many times before, when a stray bite or slash from a monster had found its mark. If anything ever hurt her, he was more than willing to mend her injuries in an instant. But she had never been seriously hurt, at least not to the point where Isaac had felt his powers reaching their limit. What if she _was_ hurt badly, and he found that his healing spells simply weren't strong enough to save her?

He was sitting on the floor now, his head in his hands.

And... and what if it wasn't a monster that hurt her? What if something else happened to her, something completely beyond his control?

He shook his head, shutting his eyes, trying to drown out Ivan's sobs. The cold, numb feeling was slowly spreading underneath his skin, begging him to just let everything go, to just break down and cry like Ivan was.

But no. There had to be something he could do. There _had_ to be.

He stared down the hall helplessly, at the room where he knew Mia was still sleeping—and suddenly he blinked. He could have sworn he had just seen a flash of azure ducking into the door of his room.

Oh _no_.

The horror, the despair, the cold, numb feeling—all of it was forgotten in an instant. Feeling like his heart had suddenly fallen into his stomach, Isaac jumped up, and without a second thought he sprinted down the hallway of the inn as fast as his legs would carry him.

Mia had been watching, listening. But had she heard what Ivan had told him? Everything inside Isaac hoped that she hadn't. If she knew what Ivan had seen... there was no way that she would be willing to continue traveling with him. He could protect her, he _would_ protect her if she stayed by his side, but he couldn't stop her from leaving the group if she didn't want to come with them...

When he reached the room, the door was still open. Isaac peered inside... and immediately wondered if he had been seeing things. Though she was facing away from him now, Mia was still in her bed, under the woolen blanket, her breathing deep and full.

Slowly, cautiously, Isaac stepped inside. Had she actually been listening to him and Ivan, or had he imagined seeing that flash of blue? Had she even gotten up from her bed? Was she even awake?

"M-... Mia?" he asked slowly, tentatively.

She gave no reply.

Isaac let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, but he quickly realized that even if Mia hadn't heard Ivan's prediction, it was hardly a cause for relief given the circumstances. And without warning... all of the fear and despair came rushing back. Suddenly feeling rather dazed, he glanced outside the room, down the hall at the place where Ivan still stood. He was still there, though his face was no longer buried in his hands; instead, he was simply staring out the window blankly, tears still running down his face.

Numbly, Isaac closed the door and slowly walked over to his bed, slumping down onto it once he had reached it. The cold, despairing feeling was back again, but this time it had consumed him completely, this time it was as though he had been robbed of all feeling. He could only stare at the floor silently, his back to Mia, as Ivan's words played over and over again in his head as if taunting him.

This couldn't be happening.

It simply wasn't possible.

After a moment, he turned around slowly, looking at Mia's still form helplessly even though all he could see of her was the azure of her hair. And for a long while, he just stared at her.

There had to be something he could do to save her. There _had_ to be. And even if he didn't know what it was, he was going to do everything in his power to keep her from harm. Because if anything happened to her... Isaac didn't know if he would be able to go on.

Meanwhile, Mia lay silently in the other bed, her breathing soft and low. Unbeknownst to Isaac, however, her eyes were still wide open.

* * *

(insert pathetic attempt at evil laugh here)

I suppose you can't really call this chapter a "conversation," per se, but I had to introduce this plot element somehow. I've gotta say, though, that this chapter was very difficult to write. Remember how I said awhile ago that writing emotionally high-strung characters was not my forte? Yeah, well that still holds here. For once, though, I'm actually rather confident of what I've written, especially Isaac's introspection at the beginning, since I hadn't had any of that for a good five chapters. What do you guys think? Remember, don't hesitate to tell me any problems that you see.

Anyway, I hope I've made up for my extended absence by giving you guys a few questions to ponder about before the next chapter comes out. Is Ivan's prediction true, and if it is, will Isaac be able to stop it somehow? And did Mia overhear what Ivan said about her? Hopefully this time around I'll actually keep you guys guessing, instead of everyone figuring it out in two seconds like you did with the whole "you're so beautiful" thing.

Speaking of that, though, as crappy as things might look for Isaac and Mia now, things are going to start getting better next chapter, as it is when the whole "you're so beautiful" fiasco is finally going to have a resolution. In addition, I'm going to be making my "at the latest" date a few days earlier this time around, as August 20 is my birthday, and chances are I'll be spending the week following it obsessing over whatever new game I've gotten my hands on.

I'd say that you could expect this chapter earlier than normal, as I'm rather eager to finally start writing some more fluff between Isaac and Mia, but I've never actually managed to follow through with that when I've said it in the past, so don't get your hopes up too high. :P Still, I hope you guys will stick around for the next chapter, and until next time...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter:** Mia and Isaac  
**expect next chapter by: **August 16, at the latest August 19_


	9. Mia and Isaac: Overdue Confessions

**Note (9/4/06):** This chapter has been slightly edited. After looking over the latter half of the chapter I realized that I had indeed done a rush job of it, so I fixed it up a little.

Yeah, so... I missed my deadline with this one. It _is_ my birthday, though... so you guys can forgive me, right? ;P

I've gotta say, I'm rather pleasantly surprised at how popular this fic has become—I received thirty-three reviews for the last chapter alone. Thanks for all your support, guys. Honestly, this fic wouldn't have come nearly as far as it has if it weren't for you guys encouraging me to continue in your reviews. :)

Though what surprised me more last chapter was that out of thirty-three reviews, only one person correctly guessed what I'm planning to do with regards to Ivan's prediction. I guess I'm less predictable than I thought. :D And no, I'm not telling you who it was. :P I will say, though, that that plot element will be dealt with a bit sooner than some of you may be expecting.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself here, aren't I? I promised that I would finally get back to some more fluff between Isaac and Mia in this chapter, and I kept that promise (though I once again failed to get this chapter out earlier than normal after saying I was eager to write it... figures), so I'll stop rambling about what's going to come _later_ in the story and let you guys read what's happening now. Review responses will have to wait for a few hours, though, as I'm kinda in a hurry to upload this chapter at the moment. Anonymous reviewer thanks for this chapter go out to _Kodoku_, _RandomReader_, _alex staszewski_, _Joeseph4_, and _D_; now, here's chapter 9!

_**chapter nine**  
Mia and Isaac_  
**_overdue confessions_**

Mia had had to endure many perils and hardships on her journey, and she had come out of them alive and ready for more, but if there was anything that she simply could not stand, it was excessive heat. Having come from a village where she was essentially forced to wear a heavy robe year-round due to the cold, the warmer climates through which she had traveled with Isaac and his friends had been nothing short of paradise for her. The desert, however, had been quite the opposite. There had been many times when she and her friends had been traversing the Lamakan when she had felt that it was simply impossible for her to go on.

But as always, her friends had been the ones who had gotten her through. Garet had been there, his resistance to the heat allowing him to retain his upbeat attitude and good-natured humor that kept Mia and the rest of the group going. Ivan had been there, using his wind powers to summon a cool breeze that had served as the perfect pick-me-up when Mia and her friends had been at the point of exhaustion. And... Isaac had been there. Isaac had always been there, picking Mia up when she had succumbed to the heat and collapsed, somehow giving her the energy to go on when it felt like she couldn't move a muscle, wordlessly assuring her that everything was going to be all right despite the hopelessness of their situation. All of them had been there, their friendly chatter and laughter giving her the ability to take her mind off the heat, even if only for a little while.

And now, as the already sparse grass began to vanish completely, slowly transforming into the sand of the Suhalla Desert, Mia knew that it would be her friends that would allow her to persevere when the oppressive desert air struck her again. This time, however... she knew that they would not be the only things keeping her mind off the heat.

Mia had witnessed some things the previous night in the Suhalla inn that she wasn't sure she had wanted to see, things that she couldn't stop thinking about despite her mind telling her that she was overreacting. And though what she had seen should have set off multiple questions in her head, as she walked beside her friends under the glaring afternoon sun, there was only one thing she could ask herself.

Why was Isaac keeping secrets from her?

She had seen him and Ivan leave the room last night urgently, had seen the two of them discussing something at the far end of the hall of the inn, as though they hadn't wanted her or Garet to wake up and find out about it. And she hadn't been able to hear what they were saying to each other, but it had been clear enough from Ivan's expression and Isaac's reaction that something utterly horrifying had occurred. Mia had never seen Isaac's expression look so hopeless, and the fact that she had no idea what had made him react that way had sent shivers of dread up her spine, had sent signals of panic to her brain begging her to find out just what it was that had happened.

And yet somehow, as she looked back on it now, the fact that she didn't know what had happened last night didn't seem as important to her as it should have. What did seem important to her now was how terrified Isaac had appeared when he had noticed her peeking out her door. What did seem important to her now was how loud and panicked his footsteps had sounded as she had raced back into her bed, how so utterly _scared_ he had sounded as he had said her name.

What did seem important to her now was that despite the fact that Isaac had found out about something terrible last night, despite the fact that it had been something horrifying enough to elicit from him the most despairing expression she had ever seen and reduce Ivan to tears... he hadn't wanted to let her know about it. He had been _scared_ to let her know about it.

And it _hurt_, to know that he felt that way.

Before today, Mia had always thought that Isaac trusted her enough to tell her about anything that was on his mind, anything that troubled him. Even perhaps from the day she had started traveling with Isaac, she had always felt a strange bond between them, a feeling of comfort when she was around him and speaking with him that she simply couldn't explain. And when he had confessed his fears about his journey to her outside of Kalay, it had only confirmed her suspicion that he had felt it too. Even though she had been the last to join the group, Mia knew that Isaac had grown to trust her much more quickly than he had his other two companions, and it was a fact that for a long while had fueled her hopes that he might be fond of her, just as she was fond of him.

And over the past week, it had been a sort of solace for her, as well, after what Isaac had said to her at Colosso. True, it had stung her rather badly to find out that he hadn't remembered calling her beautiful, and she had found it rather difficult to speak to him over the past week because of that, but over the past few days, she had slowly come to realize... the fact that he hadn't remembered what he had said didn't mean that their friendship had suddenly become less close, nor did it mean that the bond of trust between them had changed in any way. There had still been a bit of awkwardness between them, to be sure, but Mia knew that it would pass eventually, and when she had found her thoughts straying back to the arena in Tolbi, she had comforted herself with the knowledge that no matter what he had said, the bond of friendship and trust between them was still unbroken.

Now, however, she wasn't sure what to think. Something had happened last night, she was sure of it... so why didn't Isaac want her to know about it? Didn't he trust her?

She glanced over at the blond boy beside her as the group trudged onward. The Venus Adept was determinedly staring straight ahead, almost as if he was trying to avoid her gaze. Behind him, Mia could see Ivan doing the same. Truthfully, she knew, it really didn't make a difference that she had seen the two boys speaking with each other last night. She knew she shouldn't have eavesdropped on the pair, but even if she hadn't done so it would have been obvious enough from their demeanor today that something was wrong—both of them had barely spoken at all since the group had left the inn. Given how talkative the four friends usually were amongst each other, their relative silence would have been a sure sign to Mia that something was up.

And it was one now, as well, but it was only made more frightening by what she had seen when Isaac and Ivan had inadvertently woken her. And yet, though she dearly wanted to know what they had spoken about, though she dearly wanted Isaac to pull her aside and tell her what had happened last night, Mia knew that there was no point in trying to ask the two boys what was wrong. Garet, who much like her seemed to have no clue about why Isaac and Ivan were so quiet, had already tried that several times over the course of the day, and all he had been met with were false reassuring smiles and replies of "It's nothing really. Don't worry about it."

It was rather depressing to think that only a few days ago, that was all she had been able to say to Isaac when he had asked her the same thing.

She frowned as she turned her gaze back to the landscape in front of her. She knew it was incredibly petty of her to get so upset over this, knew that it was childish of her to think that Isaac had some sort of obligation to tell her every little thing that was on his mind. She knew that he had the right to his own privacy, knew that no matter how much he trusted her there were probably some things he would always be uncomfortable talking about. And besides, she had known Isaac was keeping _some_ sort of secret from her since she had accidentally eavesdropped on him and Garet on the ship to Tolbi. She hadn't gotten upset over that, not at all... so why did it hurt so much now?

Then again, she supposed, whatever had happened last night had been a lot more serious than some little personal secret... and she couldn't think of any reasonable explanation as to why Isaac wouldn't want her to know about it. He _did_ trust her, didn't he? She dearly hoped that he did, because despite the depression a select few of his actions had caused her over the past several days... she still liked him. She couldn't help herself; no matter what he had done, he was still the same wonderful boy that she had fallen for, and even now she could still feel her affection for him burning brightly within her. She had simply given up on trying to understand why that might be the case, but... no matter what, her feelings for him were still there, she could feel them, and—

"Mia?" Isaac's voice, so soft that she wasn't even sure if she had heard him, suddenly broke her out of her thoughts and stopped her in her tracks. She turned to her side to find that Isaac had also stopped walking, staring at her with an almost sad expression. "Can I... talk to you for a moment?" he asked softly, slowly.

Mia blinked, slightly confused by his question. When had he ever needed her permission to speak with her? They were friends, weren't they? And why was he looking at her like that? This didn't seem like the Isaac she knew at all...

Her gaze awkwardly flickered away from him for a moment before returning to his eyes. "I... o-of course," she replied softly, trying her best to smile. The result was a little, nervous thing, but given what had occurred over the past several days, it was probably the first genuine smile she had given him in a long time. "What is it?"

But worryingly, Isaac didn't smile back, nor did he respond immediately. Behind him, Mia could see that Ivan and Garet had stopped walking as well, looking on curiously at the two of them. Isaac seemed to notice that her eyes were not on his, and turned around to face the other two boys. "Can you guys... go ahead?" he softly asked them after a moment, nodding his head in the direction they were supposed to be traveling. Mia couldn't see his expression, but she guessed that he was giving Ivan and Garet the same sad look that he had just given her. "I, um... need to talk to Mia," he added, almost nervously.

Garet, rather unsurprisingly, suddenly grinned, but Ivan looked up and noticed this before he could say anything and clapped his hand over his mouth. "Not now," he hissed, as the Mars Adept fixed him with a confused and angry glare. The Jupiter Adept turned to Isaac, a strange look of understanding seeming to pass between the two of them. "Sure," he answered quickly, before leading Garet away from the pair, his hand still over the redhead's mouth.

Mia watched them go for a moment, then turned back to Isaac slowly, staring at him in confusion. The Venus Adept, however, was looking at the ground uncomfortably, his arms crossed over his chest, almost as though he didn't want to look at her face. What was going on? Abruptly she could feel a spark of hope ignite itself within her—did he want to talk to her about whatever had happened last night? It would make sense; that strange look of understanding that had passed over Ivan's face had to have _some_ explanation...

Nevertheless, it was hardly something to get excited over. She frowned at him, concerned and also a tiny bit afraid. "Isaac?" she asked slowly, uncertainly. "What's going on?" Behind her she could now hear Garet complaining loudly to Ivan, but she did her best to ignore it.

He looked up at her at that, and for a moment their eyes met. Isaac's crystal-blue eyes still had that strange, sad glint in them, and as she stared at him Mia could feel one of her hands drift up to her chest and clutch her dress nervously. She really didn't like that look...

It was only for a moment, however, as Isaac suddenly looked to his side, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular. "Mia, I..." he softly said, but he didn't get any further than that before he stopped, letting out a sigh. For a short while he simply stared, silent, then finally he looked back into her eyes. She smiled at him slightly, nervously, wordlessly trying to reassure him that it was okay to let out whatever was on his mind. And after a long moment, he finally spoke, a sudden seriousness in his tone. "I need to know what I said to you at Colosso."

Mia blinked, taken aback, and she felt herself blush slightly. _That_ was what he needed to talk to her about? He had stopped asking her about that several days ago; she had thought that he had finally put it out of his mind. "Y-you're still... worried about that?" she asked awkwardly, unconsciously taking a step backwards. And here she had thought that they would finally be able to forget about that incident and just act like it had never happened...

Isaac, however, looked rather hurt by her question, and immediately she could feel a wave of guilt wash over her—oh, she hated talking about this; she hated having to do this to him! "Mia," he replied sadly, staring at her helplessly, "y-you've barely spoken to me since then. I..." He sighed. "Of course I'm worried..."

She couldn't bear to look at him, couldn't bear to see the hurt expression on his face. She clutched her dress tighter, staring at the ground. "Isaac, really..." she said, trying her best to sound reassuring, "you don't have to worry about it. It... i-it's nothing, honestly." She hated having to lie to him like this, but she knew it was for the best—after all, who knew how it might damage their friendship if he found out what he had said to her?

But while in the past, telling him it was nothing had been enough to get him to stop asking her about that day, this time Isaac didn't seem willing to take that for an answer. "Mia..." she heard him say, his voice laced with a mixture of sadness and frustration, "you... you keep telling me that it's nothing, but I—I _know_ it's not." The last words were said with a surprising intensity, so much so that it caused Mia to look up. He was still staring at her with that hurt expression, but now there seemed to be a fire in his crystal-blue eyes, a determination that had not been there before to finally fix this rift between the two of them. He shook his head, sadly. "I-I just... I hate this." His eyes were pleading with her, now. "I want to make things better, but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong..."

"Isaac..." Mia whispered, tearing her gaze away from his and staring at the ground helplessly. What was she supposed to say to that? She couldn't say that it was nothing now—he wouldn't accept that, and for all she knew he had probably known it was a lie all along. But she couldn't tell him what he had said to her, she just couldn't...

She was suddenly aware of his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to find his face directly in front of hers. Another wave of guilt washed over her as she stared into his crystal-blue eyes, as she saw all the pain and frustration that he was feeling, trapped in a situation he couldn't rectify without her help. "Mia, _please_..." he whispered, and she had no choice but to look away; it hurt too much to see him pleading with her like this.

There was nothing else she could say. "I... I can't..." she murmured helplessly, clutching her dress so tightly now that it felt like she was suffocating. She couldn't look at him; she was too ashamed to even think of seeing what sort of expression her words had elicited from him. "I-I can't..."

"W-what?" Isaac sounded taken aback, but she didn't dare look up at him. "Why?"

"I-I just can't!" she nearly screamed. Oh, Mercury, now she felt like she was going to cry, as well. How could this possibly get any worse? She tried to wrench herself away from him, but his grip on her shoulder suddenly tightened before she could slip away, and he was far stronger than she could ever hope to be. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the tears. She couldn't start crying now, not in front of him...

"Then... then what am I supposed to _do_, Mia?" Isaac demanded, his frustration finally seeming to overpower him. "I _know_ something's wrong, and the only way that I can fix it is if you—"

"_You said I was beautiful, okay?_" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

And then, for a long while, all that could be heard was the sound of the wind blowing.

Mia didn't dare look up at Isaac's face. Somehow she had known this moment would come, somehow she had known that he would eventually find out somehow what he had said to her, but never had she imagined it would be like this. What had she just _done_? For all she knew, she might have just destroyed her bond with Isaac, damaged their friendship beyond repair...

She continued staring at the ground, waiting for Isaac to give some sort of reply, to give some sort of indication as to whether or not he had actually meant it when he had called her beautiful. But as the seconds dragged on, Isaac's voice never came. His hand was still on her shoulder, but he was completely silent. So left without any other choice, Mia ever so slowly raised her head.

To say that Isaac looked surprised would have been an incredible understatement. Pure shock was etched into every facet of his expression as he stared at Mia blankly, looking almost as though he was unable to comprehend what she had just told him. "Th-... _that's_ what I said?" he whispered, his breathing suddenly labored, ragged. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "I... I-I..."

But Mia didn't need to hear any more. Isaac's expression had said more than enough.

He hadn't meant it.

It was difficult to describe the feeling of shame and disappointment that Mia felt as she realized that. It was as though the spark of hope within her had been snuffed out like a candle, as though it had been replaced by a massive weight that made her feel like her insides were filled with lead. She turned away from him, and his hand fell limply from her shoulder. There was no point in even trying to face him now. What could she do? What could she say?

"It... it's all right..." she managed to choke out, trying her best to stave off the tears that were uncontrollably forming in her eyes. She knew that there was no way to make things better between them now, knew that now their friendship would only be even more awkward than before, but she couldn't just leave him like this; she had to say _something_ before the bond between them was destroyed forever. "I... I know you didn't mean it. You were delirious..."

And for a few moments she simply stood there with her back to him, fighting the urge to cry as hard as she could. She knew that she couldn't stay, that she had to get back to Ivan and Garet before things got any worse. After a moment she spotted the two boys some distance ahead of her. She took one step towards them, then two, then nearly broke into a run and—

"_Wait!_" Isaac's frantic footsteps sounded from behind her, his hand was suddenly on her shoulder once again, and she stopped. She didn't want to turn around to face him, didn't want the conversation to last any longer. She wanted to get away. She _had_ to get away. Again she tried to wrench herself out of his grasp, but again his grip held fast. Both his hands were on her shoulders now, holding her in place, and so there was nothing she could do but wait and listen to what he had to say.

"Mia..." she heard him plead, his voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't see his face, but she could still hear his heavy, labored breathing, almost as though he was having trouble making himself speak. "I..." he began, but then apparently decided against it. She heard him take another deep breath, as though he was preparing himself for what he was about to say, and he whispered, "You are beautiful..."

It took every ounce of restraint that Mia had to keep herself from bursting into tears on the spot. Oh, it was _so_ sweet of him to say that now, it really was, but... she knew that he didn't really mean it, that he was just saying it in an attempt to make her feel better. "I-Isaac..." she managed to choke out as she turned around to face him, "y-you're just..."

And then she caught sight of his face, and she froze.

She had been expecting him to be smiling at her, that same false reassuring smile he had been giving Garet all day to try and convince him that everything was all right when it was obvious that it wasn't. The expression on Isaac's face, however, was anything but false or reassuring. His entire face was ashen; it looked as though it had taken all of his strength just to say those three simple words. He wasn't smiling at all; his mouth hung open slightly as he breathed heavily, staring at her helplessly. And his eyes... his eyes were a whirlwind of emotions. Pain, hope, sadness, fear... but behind all of them, she could see the same look in his eyes that he had given her at Colosso. Behind the torrent of emotions, she could see that same glint of... _sincerity_ that she had seen when he had first called her beautiful.

She could feel an impossible hope suddenly sprout within her. No... he couldn't possibly...?

"Y-you're just... saying that..." she whispered, but even as the words left her mouth she found that she didn't want to believe them. Could he... could he _really_...?

He actually looked hurt by the mere suggestion. "No..." he whispered back despairingly, shaking his head slightly. "I..." he continued, "I mean it, Mia, you..." For a second his eyes flickered away uncertainly, but a moment later they met hers once again, and Mia could feel the impossible hope within her surge as that glint of sincerity returned. He was almost smiling, now. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met..."

At those words Mia found herself afraid to even breathe. She didn't want to, and was afraid that if she did the moment would be ruined.

The weight in her gut was vanishing now, slowly being replaced by a tingling sensation that made it feel as though butterflies were dancing in her stomach. "R-... really?" she whispered, so softly that she wasn't sure Isaac would even be able to hear it. A small smile appeared on her face as she said that, one that slowly grew wider with each passing second. He really... thought of her that way? Truly?

Isaac was smiling nervously now, too. Mia was suddenly aware of the two dark patches of red on his cheeks—she had never seen him blush like that before. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, staring at the ground for a moment before looking at her again, the pain and sadness in his eyes suddenly gone. "I-I, well... yeah..." he murmured awkwardly, his blush deepening, and Mia's heart fluttered happily. "I-I don't know why I forgot about that, but..." His entire face was now a deep crimson as he smiled at her, fondly. "You... you are beautiful, Mia."

She was suddenly once again aware of the tears in her eyes, was suddenly once again afraid that she might start crying at any moment. An odd noise escaped her as she realized that; it could have been either a sob or a joyful laugh, but she honestly couldn't tell which. "I-Isaac..." she whispered, smiling radiantly now. She blinked, and her eyelashes sparkled. "I-I don't... I don't know what to say..."

But whatever Isaac was going to say next, Mia never found out. From behind her, there was suddenly a noise like an explosion, and she whirled around in surprise. Her eyes came to rest on Ivan and Garet some distance ahead. Both of them had their weapons drawn, and they were facing down a giant Roach that seemed to have launched itself out of the sand to defend its territory. As she stared at them, she could make out Garet turning his head back towards her and Isaac, could just hear him yelling over the noise that the monstrous insect was making.

"_Isaac!_" he was yelling. "_Mia!_"

She glanced back at Isaac; he had seen it too. He glanced at her, and for a moment their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between the two of them that their conversation would have to be continued at some other time.

Then it was gone, and Isaac had his longsword drawn and was running towards his companions, Mia following closely behind him with her staff at the ready. Truthfully, she did feel rather upset that her moment with Isaac had been interrupted, but she knew as she ran towards her friends that in the end, it hardly mattered. She knew that she wouldn't forget what had happened today for a long, long time.

* * *

One of the things that I definitely wanted to _avoid_ while writing the first part of this chapter was turning Mia into a giant angst bucket. Obviously, given her situation, she has a right to be upset, but I wanted her to at least hold out _some_ hope that things might turn out all right, or that she might just be overreacting. Truthfully, though, I must have gone through at least 50 revisions of the first part of this chapter before I found something that made me happy. You can pretty much blame that for this chapter being late. :P 

But anyway, the first part of this chapter isn't what you guys are focusing on right now, is it? ;) I am _very_ proud of how Mia and Isaac's little confrontation turned out, as it's something I've been planning and thinking about ever since I came up with the idea for chapter six. What do you guys think of it? Remember, if you see a problem, don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks to my deadline I fear that the end of this chapter might've been a little rushed, so please let me know what you think of it. But just so you know, that whole "interruption" thing at the end wasn't meant to be a cop-out so I could finish this chapter more quickly. I had that in mind from the start. :P Just be glad I didn't have the interruption occur while Isaac was about to say "I love you" or anything like that—not only would that have seriously pissed you guys off, but I probably would've shot myself for being so cliché. :P

As a final note... I've decided not to give myself a deadline for the next chapter this time around. The whole "expect next chapter by" thing has been working well in making me get chapters out quickly, but lately it's been putting a lot of stress on me, and in more extreme cases forcing me to rush out chapters that I'm not completely happy with. And frankly, I feel like I should be writing because I _want_ to write (which I do, don't worry), not because I feel like I _have_ to. So consider this a test. If it takes me an incredibly long time to post the next update without a deadline looming over my head, I'll reinstate it, but I want to see if it helps me to not have a specific date to worry about.

So... yeah. But looking ahead... heheh. Next chapter is bound to be very interesting. ;)

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Isaac, Mia, and Ivan_


	10. Isaac and Mia: Sheer Desperation

**Note (10/24/06)**: This site has been around for seven years now, and they _still_ can't get their e-mail system to work right. This chapter has been reposted so that the email alert will actually go out. Hope you guys receive it this time.

**Second Note (11/7/06)**: After receiving several reviews complaining about it, I fixed the djinn's broken English and had them speak normally instead. This doesn't change anything in the story, but I thought some of you guys might like it better.

Hello again! Before you guys read any further, I'm going to ask that you go back and re-read the second half of chapter 9. I've made a couple of edits to it, as it was rather rushed. There's no real significant change to the story (the dialogue is all still the same), but I just feel it flows better. Let me know what you think.

As for this chapter... well, the first thing you'll probably notice is that Ivan is conspicuously missing from the character list at the beginning, even though I said in chapter 9 that this chapter would have him in it. The reason for this is quite simple: this chapter was originally supposed to be two distinct scenes, and Ivan would appear in the second one, but the first scene got so huge that I decided it would probably be better off as its own chapter. I hope that doesn't bother too many people.

Still, though, I have to apologize for this chapter taking so long to get out. I suppose the blame can be placed at least partly on the fact that I am a TA for a class here at Brown this year—which is quite an enjoyable job, if a bit time-consuming—but that's not really the only reason... I have to admit the lack of a deadline this time around made me rather lazy when it came to actually sitting down and writing. So I apologize for that, and I'll try my best to make sure it doesn't happen again.

But anyway... how many of you did I scare with the summary for this chapter? ;D I'm really not going to say anything about that here, because I don't want to give anything away. Before we get to the chapter, though, anonymous reviewer thanks go out to _RandomReader_, _Insanity Team! (A.k.a. Violet)_, _Maverick 22_, _alex staszewski_, and _Kodoku_. Now, here's chapter 10!

_**chapter ten**  
Isaac and Mia  
**sheer desperation**_

Isaac staggered back, grunting as the Storm Lizard continued to press its advantage, raining powerful blows down onto the young swordsman that he was only barely able to stop. The giant green reptile was easily nine or ten feet tall, and it was taking all of Isaac's strength to block the creature's strong swipes with his sword. The uneven sand of the Suhalla Desert made it difficult for him to get his footing, and Isaac knew that without some sort of distraction to take the Storm Lizard's attention off him, he wouldn't have any chances to strike back with an attack of his own.

Fortunately, though, Isaac knew that soon, the distraction he needed would be coming. He knew that despite the Storm Lizard bearing down on him, behind and on either side of the creature, Garet, Ivan and Mia were all charging their psynergy—the two boys readying attacks, and Mia performing a spell to heal any injuries that the monster might have inflicted on him. Soon, one of the two boys—probably Garet, as the Storm Lizard seemed to easily shrug off any spells that Ivan threw at it—would attack the beast from behind, causing it to turn around and divert its attention away from Isaac. That would give Mia a chance to heal him and give Isaac a chance to attack the monster from behind with a powerful spell of his own. It would probably bring the Storm Lizard's attention back to him, but Isaac knew that he would be able to hold off the monster's attacks long enough for Garet or Ivan to blast it again. He had been doing so for the entire battle, after all.

It had been a rather risky move, perhaps, to tell his friends to surround the creature, but Isaac knew that it was the best plan they had. There was no telling what sort of psynergy the giant lizard possessed, and grouping together only heightened the chances that the monster might use some strong spell to take out all four of them at once. Furthermore, surrounding the monster made sure that Iodem would be protected—the scholar had little if any fighting ability, but if he stayed a safe distance away from the battle he could not be attacked. What was most important, though, was that surrounding the Storm Lizard made it impossible for the monster to attack any of the Adepts without turning its back on at least one of them. Powerful though the creature was, it couldn't possibly put full force in any of its attacks while it was getting blasted from behind.

That fact was especially helpful for Isaac, because despite the power he had against the wind-aligned Storm Lizard, the Venus Adept knew that the landscape put him at quite a disadvantage. The sands of the Suhalla made it impossible for him to summon an effective earthquake, and without some sort of ceiling above him, he couldn't cast his Spire spell, either. That left Isaac with only his Ragnarok and Gaia techniques, and neither of those would be effective against the giant reptile when it was so close—he simply didn't have enough time to concentrate and prepare the former with the monster attacking him constantly, and the blast of the latter could easily do just as much damage to him as to the lizard at such a close range. He could only really use his sword against the creature, a fact that wasn't exactly comforting considering the beast's size and strength.

Truthfully, though, Isaac found that he didn't mind putting himself in such a risky position. He knew the danger that he was in, to be sure, that a single mistake in this situation could mean dreadful consequences, but... somehow, it didn't seem to matter much to him, because as long as the Storm Lizard was attacking him, as long as he had the creature's attention... Mia couldn't be put in danger.

He knew well that Mia could fight. She wasn't as strong as him, perhaps, but she was still a skilled combatant, and she could hold her own against even the toughest of monsters. All the fighting ability in the world, however, meant nothing to Isaac with Ivan's prediction constantly in the back of his mind. He didn't dare allow Mia to fight, didn't dare allow her to put herself in a situation where she could be hurt. He had to keep her out of harm's way, had to make sure that there was no chance of Ivan's prediction coming true.

But it was difficult, as Mia didn't know the danger she was in, and Isaac had no intention of letting her find out about it until he was sure that it had passed. He wanted to protect her, wanted to make sure that she didn't have to fight, and for the past few days, he had tried his best to do so whenever a monster attacked them. And he had succeeded for the most part, but for how long could he keep it up before she started to wonder what was going on? Mia was as much a part of the group as any of the four Adepts, and for that reason she couldn't possibly see his sudden desire to keep her from fighting as anything but odd. What if she asked him about it? What would he say to her?

The Mercury Adept was about ten yards off to his left now, helping to surround the Storm Lizard, but she was not attacking the monster. In fact, Isaac had told her specifically not to do so. As their primary healer, he had explained to her before they had run towards the giant whirlwind that the creature had created, she needed to keep herself safe so that she could heal from a distance any injuries her companions sustained. If she didn't attack and instead focused on aiding her friends, the Storm Lizard wouldn't consider her a threat, and it would instead be much more intent on eliminating the three boys who kept attacking it from behind. It was a sensible plan from any angle, Isaac knew, but still... he had to wonder if perhaps Mia was suspicious of it. How would she react, he wondered, if she found out what he was doing? Would she feel hurt? Or would she understand?

Still, though, Isaac had far more important things on his mind at the moment than Mia's feelings—most notably, the giant Storm Lizard trying to kill him. The monster was relentless in its assault, striking at him with such speed and ferocity that Isaac had no hope to block every one of the creature's attacks. Even as he parried a swipe from one claw, he found himself with no time to do anything but dodge the other. Without any chance to attack, Isaac could only wonder one thing as he continued to duck and weave under and around the monster's blows: why hadn't Garet and Ivan helped him out yet? They knew the plan, didn't they?

The Storm Lizard struck again, and once again Isaac caught the creature's claws on the edge of his blade. This time, however, the monster's blow was a little more powerful than he had been expecting, and he was forced to take a step back to balance himself. With his attention focused fully on the monster in front of him, Isaac had no way of noticing the dip in the sand where his foot landed. The sudden lack of ground beneath him caused him to stumble backwards, and despite a few more steps to try and stay upright Isaac couldn't keep his balance and he tripped, falling back onto the sand.

He scrambled into a sitting position as he tried to get up, but the Storm Lizard covered the short distance now between them in a single step, raising its arm for a swipe that Isaac knew he wouldn't be able to block or dodge. Fear shot through him as he raised his sword vainly; he knew he couldn't stop this attack. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain he knew was coming—

—and then suddenly snapped them open again as the Storm Lizard let out a deafening roar, arching its back in pain. Relief flooded through his body as he got up and the creature whirled around, trying to find its new assailant... but his relief turned to horror as he noticed that there was not a scorch mark that should have been on the lizard's back from a lightning bolt or stream of flame; instead, there were several large, sharp icicles embedded in the thick scales, gleaming in the harsh sunlight. And as the Storm Lizard roared again, Isaac could clearly see that it was not glaring at Garet or Ivan as it should have.

It was staring directly at Mia.

Pure terror consumed him as he followed the Storm Lizard's gaze to where the blue-haired girl was standing. He wanted to yell her name, but the word seemed caught in his throat. He wanted to shout out a warning to her, wanted to tell her to get away and let him and the other boys handle this monster, but one glance at her expression told him that she wouldn't listen. Even from a distance he could see that there wasn't even a hint of fear on her face. Pure determination was etched into every facet of her expression as she stared down the giant reptile, her staff at the ready.

The Storm Lizard would be upon her in the time that it would take him to ready a Ragnarok or Gaia spell, so that left Isaac with only one course of action. "Garet! Ivan!" he shouted as he turned to face the two boys, who were glowing crimson and violet, respectively, with the built-up energy of the spells that should have been the ones to hit the monster. "Help her out!"

Unfortunately, neither of them would be able to distract the Storm Lizard from its new target. Garet was the first to act, his sword wreathed in flames as he sent a blistering stream of fire at the monster just as it started to make its way over to where Mia was standing. Had the lizard stayed still, it would have been hit dead-on, but Garet couldn't direct his spell after he had released it and the monster's sudden advance caused the flames to pass harmlessly behind its back. Ivan then attacked, the air around him crackling with electricity as he raised his arm and pointed his staff at the Storm Lizard's back. There was a flash as a lightning bolt shot out of the staff's tip, followed by a second and a third. His aim was true, but the wind-aligned monster didn't even flinch even as the bolts crashed into its scales. It simply kept advancing on Mia, who continued to stand tall, seemingly not at all disturbed by the fact that she was about to take on a creature that was easily twice her size.

It was only when the Storm Lizard was directly in front of Mia that Isaac's brain finally kicked back into gear, frantically screaming at him that he had to try and help her out as well, had to keep Ivan's prediction from coming true. But even as he began to ready a Ragnarok spell, the monster raised its arm, and Isaac's concentration was instantly lost. He felt his breath catch in his throat as the Storm Lizard brought its arm down in a deadly swipe, but Mia was ready. Glowing blue, she nimbly dodged out of the way of the creature's claws, then swung her staff, sending a hail of icicles directly into the monster's chest that caused it to roar in pain.

For an instant Isaac felt a surge of hope, a confidence that Mia would be able to hold off the Storm Lizard's attacks, but then the monster struck again, and once again the fear consumed him. This time the Mercury Adept seemed to realize that trying to dodge the creature's attacks was a dangerous idea, and instead she raised her staff with both hands, trying to block the monster's claws from reaching her.

But Mia was not as strong as Isaac was, and she couldn't hope to stand against the Storm Lizard's powerful blows. Even though she successfully blocked the lizard's swipe with her staff, the sheer strength behind the attack sent her spinning around, leaving her back turned to the monster.

And Isaac could only watch in horror as Mia, as if in slow motion, whirled around just as the Storm Lizard struck with its other arm. There was no chance for her to block or dodge out of the way of the swipe, nothing to lessen the damage from the monster's sharp claws. She didn't scream, even as the claws cut through her torso and sent a shower of blood flying through the air. She barely reacted at all. For a single, agonizing moment, she simply stood there, a shocked, almost glazed look on her face, and then she fell.

It was as though Isaac's entire body had gone numb. He wanted to scream Mia's name, wanted to run to her side and heal her, wanted to send the most powerful psynergy he knew flying at the monster that had hurt her, but his body didn't seem to want to move. He could only stare straight ahead dumbly, his brain trying frantically to convince him that he must have been seeing things, that what he had just seen had to have been some sort of illusion. It could not have happened, Mia couldn't possibly have...

The scene before him, however, refused to change. Mia continued to lay motionless in the sand, small patches of dark red dotting the ground near her crumpled form. The Storm Lizard arched its back and let out a roar, triumphant that it had felled one of its adversaries. It lasted only for a second, however, as before the creature's roar even ended a stream of flames appeared out of nowhere and crashed into the back of its head. Growling murderously, the lizard whirled around and was immediately met with a powerful plasma bolt to the face. Its triumph forgotten in an instant, the Storm Lizard roared again, this time in fury, before stomping towards the area where Garet and Ivan were standing.

"_Isaac!_" Garet's yell brought the Venus Adept to his senses as he turned to face his friend. The redhead was standing side-by-side with Ivan now, the two of them both in battle-ready positions and glowing the colors of their respective elements. "Go help her!" he frantically screamed over the Storm Lizard's thunderous footsteps. "We'll keep this thing busy!"

Isaac didn't need any further encouragement. Tearing his eyes away from what was undoubtedly about to become a heated battle, his heart thudding painfully in his chest, he quickly turned to where Mia lay and sprinted across the sand faster than he had ever run before in his life. As he approached he could see the gashes in her dress, could see the blood spilling out and staining the pale azure a dark red. She lay on her side, one hand covering her injury, her crystal-blue eyes wide open and fixed dead ahead... but she was breathing, albeit raggedly. She was alive!

"Mia!" Isaac yelled breathlessly as he reached her side and immediately kneeled down in front of her, rolling her slowly onto her back so that he could heal the wounds on her stomach. Was she even conscious? He couldn't tell, but that question was answered a moment later, as her eyes suddenly moved and met his.

"I-Isaac..." she gasped fearfully, clearly unable to speak at anything above a whisper. Her chest rose and fell unsteadily as she drew in and let out several shuddering breaths, each one more painful than the last, and her entire body trembled as she transfixed him with a gaze filled with mortal terror, tears of pain coming to her eyes. "It... i-it h-hurts..." she whispered, clutching at the torn, bloodstained fabric of her dress. "Isaac..."

"It's all right," he whispered softly, breathlessly, more to reassure himself than Mia. "It's going to be all right." And it was, wasn't it? She was still alive... so that meant he could still heal her, that meant he could still keep Ivan's prediction from coming true. Closing his eyes and trying his best to concentrate despite the fear threatening to consume him and the loud sounds of fighting coming from behind him, he drew upon every last bit of psynergy that he had and focused it all into the most powerful healing spell he knew. His hands began to glow golden as the healing energies flowed from the earth and into him, his body a conduit for the life energy of the world underneath his feet. Slowly, carefully, he moved Mia's hand aside and placed his own hands on her stomach, and let the healing spell go to work. The golden glow covered her wounds, slowly but surely beginning to mend the torn flesh.

But her wounds were deep, and Isaac's power was only so much. Even as his psynergy continued to fill her body, he could feel under his hands the full extent of the injuries she had sustained, several internal injuries that would take a long time to heal... but it was a long time that he didn't have. He had to heal her _now_, before she...

Breathing heavily, Isaac forced even more power into the spell, more than what he knew was probably safe for him. And yet the wounds beneath his hands still refused to yield, still continued to mend themselves at an agonizingly slow pace. Under his hands, he could feel her breathing growing fainter and fainter, could feel her body weakening... _No!_

"Hold on, Mia," he breathed softly, even as fear continued flooding his senses. "Y-you've got to, Mia, hold on..."

"I-Isaac..." she suddenly whispered faintly, nearly breaking him out of the concentration required for the spell. Keeping his hands locked in place, keeping the healing energies steadily flowing into her body, he slowly turned his head. She was staring directly into his eyes, her body still trembling, her own sapphire eyes pleading with him. _Help me_, they were saying, _help me, Isaac, please..._

And then she drew in a long, shuddering breath, let out a sigh... and was still.

Isaac could have sworn that his heart stopped beating at that moment.

Immediately the psynergy flowing through him stopped, immediately his healing spell was forgotten. For a long moment he just stared at her unmoving form, breathing heavily, his mind refusing to believe the sight he saw before him... She couldn't be, just couldn't be...

"M-... Mia?" he finally asked softly, fearfully, a sense of panic growing in his gut as he reached out and touched her shoulder, shaking her lightly. But she lay motionless, her eyes wide open and frozen in a ghastly, terrified expression.

"Mia," he repeated, louder this time as he shook her again. "Mia, come on..." The panic inside him was growing now, sending an icy, numb feeling through his chest and up his arms even as he continued to shake her, trying in vain to somehow awaken her. His voice was rising uncontrollably now; his whole body was trembling wildly. "Mia. Mia! Y-you... you can't... _Mia!_" But still... there was no reply.

"_No!_" Isaac suddenly screamed. She couldn't be... he had to still be able to do something! Breathing heavily, Isaac summoned his psynergy again, drawing upon even more power than before. Some forgotten part of his mind yelled at him that he could easily hurt himself trying to do this, that it was unsafe for him, but Isaac had long stopped caring about his own well-being. All that mattered now was Mia.

His arms and hands burned golden as the new psynergy coursed through them, and he grunted as he placed his hands on Mia's stomach again, forcing as much healing energy as he could into her body. But even as the spell took effect, even as her wounds continued to close, Isaac could feel under his hands the very truth he was trying so hard to deny. He couldn't feel any blood flowing through her veins, couldn't feel any life sustaining the girl underneath him...

But he ignored that, too, and continued summoning healing energies from the earth, his breathing now harsh and ragged. She couldn't... he had to still be able to save her. He _had_ to be. And even after her wounds closed completely, even after he knew there was no point in sustaining the spell, he continued pouring his psynergy into her body, hoping beyond hope that she would just wake up, wake up and end this nightmare...

What finally stopped him, though, was not exhaustion, nor was it one of his friends. What finally stopped him was a voice in his head, a voice that he normally only heard in response to his own call... the voice of one of his djinn.

"_Master Isaac..._" he could hear the small creature squeaking, mournfully. "_That is not going to work..._"

"_SHUT UP!_" was Isaac's only reply. He continued his healing spell, but now that there was a voice to fight his denial, icy feelings of fear and doubt were slowly starting to creep up his body. What if his djinn was right... what if Mia wasn't going to wake up no matter what he did...?

"_Please stop..._" came a slightly lower squeak, another djinni. "_Master Isaac is going to hurt himself..._"

"_I don't care!_" Isaac responded mentally, tears now coming to his eyes despite the furious, wrathful expression on his face. "_I don't care what happens to me. I'm going to bring her back!_"

Still, though, no matter how much he wanted to deny it, Isaac knew his simple healing powers weren't going to do anything to save Mia. There had to be some other spell, some other power his djinn could lend him to help bring her back. "_Flint!_" he called in his head as he ceased his healing spell, sending the first djinni that he had bonded with the mental equivalent of an accusing glare. "_There has to be some spell that can save her. Tell me!_"

For a long, agonizing moment, there was no response from any of his six djinn. Finally, though, another voice resounded in Isaac's head, a small, timid voice that he recognized as Flint's. "_Master Isaac..._" the small creature said,"_I know how you feel about Miss Mia, but... you cannot perform that spell,_" the Venus djinni squeaked softly, clearly afraid of Isaac's fury.

"_What do you mean I can't perform it!_" Isaac mentally screamed, his body shaking with rage now. "_That's why I have you! You're supposed to help my psynergy!_"

"_It i__s not safe,_" Flint explained softly, sadly. "_Even if the spell succeeds and you revive Miss Mia, you... you may not live..._"

"_I told you, I don't care what happens to me!_" Isaac screamed. How dare his djinn tell him that there was a way to bring Mia back and then refuse to tell him what it was!

"_Master Isaac, Flint is not lying!_" another djinn's voice suddenly cut in angrily. "_The spell you wish to perform is very dangerous. If it fails, you **and** Miss Mia will die!_"

"_So what, I should just not try, then?_" Isaac fired back just as angrily, his heavy, labored breaths starting to shudder now as the tears continued to fill his eyes. "_I can't just leave her. I can't just give up! I have to at least try to save her!_"

Once again, Isaac's six djinn were silent for a long moment. This time, however, it was Isaac who broke the silence. "_Please, you have to help me,_" he pleaded desperately, passionately, blinking away the tears in his eyes as best he could as he stared down at Mia's lifeless form. "_You have to! You're the only chance I have!_"

Finally, Flint spoke. "_If... it is__ what you really want..._" the djinni said softly, and suddenly Isaac felt a surge of hope, "_we will help._"

And then, Isaac could feel the power of his djinn flowing through his body as the knowledge of a new spell suddenly implanted itself in his brain. His djinn had taught him new powers this way before, but still Isaac knew he would never get used to that feeling, that sensation of not slowly learning a spell but suddenly just _knowing_. Only a moment before he had been helpless, there had been no hope... but now Isaac knew exactly what he had to do.

"_Thank you..._" he whispered mentally. Then he turned his eyes to Mia, whose sapphire eyes were frozen wide open lifelessly. For a moment, he just stared at her. Then he closed his eyes, and began the spell.

As with his healing powers, the new spell drew upon the life energy of the earth, but this time the technique was more complicated, as the new spell did not draw the energy into his body but instead slowly formed a glowing, golden circle in the air around both him and Mia's form that was much harder to maintain. Still, he persevered, his breathing heavy. It was difficult, but Isaac knew he would rather die than give up this chance to save her.

The glowing circle around him and Mia widened as Isaac pushed more and more energy into the spell. Slowly, it expanded vertically, becoming tall enough to reach down to the ground and rising over his head to form a golden dome of psynergy that covered the two of them completely from the world. Specks of psynergy that seemed almost like feathers slowly started to fall from above him as the dome completed itself, as it began to pulsate with light. And then, as he felt the power of the spell come to a peak, Isaac slowly raised his hands as the light within the golden dome grew brighter and brighter and then—

There was a bright flash, and Isaac opened his eyes. And even though the new knowledge that his djinn had given him had told him to expect it, still Isaac was surprised by what he saw. The world around him and Mia seemed to have faded away, replaced by an emptiness broken only by those featherlike specks of psynergy that seemed to be floating everywhere around him. Mia's body still lay motionless in front of him, but she seemed to have faded, too, seemed to have faded into an eerie black-and-white version of herself.

Neither of those things, however, were what got Isaac's attention at that moment. What got Isaac's attention was an object floating above Mia's body, round and about the size of his fist. It seemed to be made up of millions of tiny psynergetic sparkles, all of them a clear, crystal blue, like her eyes, like her element, like _her_. It spun lazily in the air, every so often releasing a few sparkles that floated up and away and into nothingness.

_Her soul_, the new knowledge told him.

Every living person's body, Isaac now knew, contained a soul like this, a spirit that defined a person and gave the body life. Within the body, the soul was safe and secure, unable to be touched by even the most powerful of forces. Once the body was no longer able to sustain itself, however, it would shut down, releasing the soul it contained into the outside world. Without a body to contain it, the soul was frighteningly fragile—even the slightest gust of wind could damage its structure. Even now, as Isaac watched Mia's soul float in the emptiness around him, he knew that it was ever so slowly deteriorating, knew that the small sparkles it was releasing were pieces of her spirit that would never be recovered.

Still, though... there was hope. In his desperation, Isaac had healed Mia's body completely, and once again it would be able to sustain itself if he could only return to it the spark of life that had once been there. But her soul had been damaged by exposure to the outside world, and without a complete soul her body would never start functioning again. That, Isaac knew, meant he would now have to perform the most difficult part of the spell. In order to revive Mia, in order to repair her soul... he would have to give her a piece of his own.

Flint had not been lying—it would be an exceedingly difficult process. Within his body, Isaac knew, his soul would regenerate and repair itself if given time. But if he wanted to revive Mia and live to tell her about it, he would have to be extremely careful. If he didn't give her enough of his power, her soul would remain broken; if he gave her too much, he would kill himself. It was dangerous, but it was the only chance he had to bring Mia back, and Isaac knew that to save her he would do anything.

So once again, Isaac focused his power, but this time he drew not upon the life energy of the earth but upon the life energy within himself. His mind was exhausted, however, from the many powerful spells he had already used to try and revive her, and more than once he found himself faltering as he tried to complete the spell. He closed his eyes, his breathing labored as he tried to concentrate, but his mind didn't seem to want to cooperate. The power of the spell kept flickering and dying before he could complete it, and even as he tried again and again Isaac felt fear creeping up his body, fear that even after doing so much to try to save Mia he wouldn't be able to bring her back.

But Isaac couldn't fail now, not when he had this one chance to revive her. He opened his eyes again, but this time instead of fearfully watching her sparkling, deteriorating soul he turned his gaze to Mia herself, to the girl that meant so much to him. Why, he wondered, had it taken him until now to realize just how badly he had fallen for her? He had been trying to deny it to himself over the past few days, but there was no point in doing so now. He loved Mia. He had probably fallen in love with her a long time ago. And he couldn't lose her now, now that he knew just how badly he needed her.

So he tried again. And this time, as he focused his power into the spell... he thought of her. He thought of her compassion, how she could always be a friend and shoulder to lean on whenever his quest seemed like too much for him. He thought of her smile, the way such a small gesture could evoke such strong feelings within him, the magical way she had smiled at him only a few days ago, when he had told her she was beautiful. He thought of his affection for her, how he must have been falling in love with her the whole time he was with her without ever fully realizing it. All things, he knew, that he would never experience again if this spell failed. All reasons, he knew, why he had to bring her back.

And this time the power of the spell did not flicker and die. This time he could feel the power within him beginning to coalesce, and as he opened his eyes Isaac could see that the feathery specks of psynergy floating in the emptiness around him had reacted to his spell. They were no longer floating lazily through the air, but had instead started to slowly, purposefully circle around him and Mia. Taking this as a sign that the spell was working, Isaac focused his power further, a spark of hope igniting within him as he realized that he _could_ do this, that he _was_ strong enough to save her.

Slowly, Isaac could begin to feel the swirling life energy within him concentrating, focusing itself. At the same time, the telltale golden glow of his psynergy appeared on his body, this time not on his arms and hands but instead directly over his heart. This was it, Isaac realized, as the golden glow grew brighter, as the life energy within him concentrated into a single point directly under it. This was his chance, the only chance he had. Closing his eyes, he took a slow, deep breath... and then let the pieces of his soul flow out of him.

The tiny golden sparkles flowed out of the glowing spot above his heart in a stream, moving forward before joining the featherlike specks of psynergy in circling around him and Mia. And as more and more sparkles joined them, as Isaac let out more and more of his soul, they started to spin faster and faster, the circle starting to shrink. Soon, Isaac was no longer inside the circle of swirling sparkles and feathers; instead, they surrounded only Mia.

Finally, Isaac felt that he had let out enough. The flow of sparkles from his heart stopped, and he turned his attention to what was now a whirlwind of gold surrounding Mia. As he focused his power on it, the whirlwind continued to shrink, rising up into the air and forming a spinning sphere around Mia's soul. As the golden particles closed in on it, the crystal-blue sparkles started to spin as well, and soon there were not two spheres of sparkles but one, blue and gold swirling together.

All at once the sparkles flashed white, and for a moment Mia's soul hung there, neither blue nor gold but a deep sea-green. It was only for a moment, however, as soon after the color faded, reverting to the crystal-blue he knew so well. Isaac let out a breath, hope surging within him as he realized that there was only one thing left for him to do. He was almost there. He had almost saved her.

Once again he focused his power on Mia's soul, and once again the crystal-blue sparkles began to spin. And slowly, very slowly, it began to descend, moving back towards Mia's body where it belonged. Faster and faster it spun as Isaac concentrated the very last of his power, as he focused every fiber of his being on pushing those tiny little sparkles of Mia's being back into the girl he loved. They were inches apart now, they were almost touching, and then the sparkles touched her heart and—

Mia suddenly gasped, as though she had just emerged from a very long time underwater, and the world suddenly returned to normal, once again she was surrounded by sand. She sat up, her chest heaving with deep breaths, looking around wildly as she clutched her dress, trying to determine what had just happened to her. Finally, her crystal-blue eyes settled on him. "Isaac?" she asked breathlessly, fearfully. "W-what's going on?"

But he could do nothing but smile broadly at her, pure relief and joy flooding his body and robbing him of his voice. Mia was back... she was alive. He had saved her. He wanted to throw his arms around her, wanted to hold her close and feel her heart beat against his chest, but he was suddenly aware of just how very _tired_ he was, of an exhaustion that seemed to not only consume his body but his mind and spirit as well. He could barely move, could barely keep himself upright, but he hardly cared. Mia was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Isaac?" Mia repeated when he did not reply, a slight expression of worry making its way onto her beautiful face. "A-... are you all right?"

But Isaac couldn't reply; he didn't have the strength. He just smiled at her for a moment longer, and then, closing his eyes, he let out a breath and fell face-first into the sand.

* * *

Cliffhanger! Okay, not really, we all know Isaac's not dead. You would've figured that out from a peek at the character list for the next chapter, anyway. :P 

But yeah... don'cha just love semantics? Honestly, I'm very surprised more people didn't pick up on the fact that just because Ivan said that Mia was going to die didn't mean that Isaac couldn't bring her back immediately afterward. Especially since Isaac _does_ have a Revive spell in the game. :P As it stands, _Gravaja Umbros_ is the only reader who correctly guessed what was going to happen in this chapter. A cookie to you, sir. :)

Speaking of that, though, I hope that Isaac's sudden learning of the Revive spell didn't seem too much of a _deus ex machina _to anyone. To be honest, I was just going with the game's mechanics on that one, as Isaac does need four Venus djinn to cast the spell. Still, though, did that seem realistic to you guys? Let me know in your reviews. Also, I know I took quite a bit of liberty with the way the Revive spell actually looks and works, but I like it. What do you guys think?

Anyway... yeah. This scene got _huge_. Even by itself it's the longest chapter I've written so far for this story, clocking in at six thousand words. It's not much of a conversation, I suppose, but I don't think you guys will mind too much. :P Remember, though, that if you see any problems with this chapter, don't hesitate to let me know. Obviously, this is one of the most important events in this story, so I want to make sure it's perfect.

I'm sticking with the no-deadline plan for now, but I _will_ try harder with the next chapter, I promise. :) So until next time...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Isaac, Mia and Ivan_


	11. Isaac, Mia, and Ivan: Tense Disagreement

Well... okay, I guess the delay for this chapter was a _little_ better. Still, though, I'm a bit skeptical of how this no-deadline plan is working. Maybe I'll keep it around for one more chapter...

It has come to my attention, though, that it has now been more than a year since I began this story. Kind of makes poignant how slowly I've been working on this. :(

Tiny note time: since a lot of people complained about it in reviews, I took out the djinn's broken English in the previous chapter and replaced it with normal speech. This doesn't change anything about the story at all, but like with Garet originally calling Isaac "Ize" all the way back in chapter three, the reviewers always know what's best. :)

Anyway, did the summary for this chapter leave any of you guys wondering what's going to happen here? ;) I know the summary was rather vague about what's actually going to happen in this chapter, but the fact remains that it's a true statement, and you're going to see exactly why I chose it for the summary as this chapter goes on. Review responses are out as always, and anonymous review thanks for the last chapter go out to _Maver1ck22_, _Kodoku_, _Anonymous Reviewer_, and _Alex Staszewski_. Now, although it was originally going to be part of chapter 10... here's chapter 11!

_**chapter eleven**  
Isaac, Mia and Ivan  
**tense disagreement**_

When Isaac opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a brilliant blue. The first thought he had was that he had to be looking up at the sky; the last thing he remembered was being outside, after all. But as he blinked and his vision came into sharper focus, the blue seemed to retract, melting and swirling into an unidentifiable shape surrounded by darkness. Another blink, and his surroundings suddenly became clear—he was not outside at all, but rather lying on a bedroll in his tent, and apparently night had already fallen. And the blue shape above him was no longer formless... suddenly it was that of a person.

"Isaac...?" it whispered, its voice very familiar.

He wanted to reach up and rub his eyes, but his arms felt like lead. It was hardly necessary, though, as that voice and color left little doubt as to who the person above him was. "Mia," he whispered back hoarsely, his voice seemingly not wanting to go any louder.

As he blinked again, trying to clear his vision, her face swam into focus above him. Her expression was a mixture of shock and relief, and her mouth hung open slightly, almost as though she was unable to believe what she was seeing. The light of a lantern somewhere in the tent played across her face, highlighting her tear-streaked cheeks, and more tears continued to leak forth as she stared down at him on her knees, breathing in and out shakily. But for once, Isaac didn't pay attention to Mia's expression. What was more important to him at that moment was the simple fact that she was there above him, still breathing... still alive.

Without even thinking his lips curled into a smile, a sudden warmth filling him and giving him strength. And as she realized that he was indeed conscious, Mia smiled back at him radiantly, sniffling as she wiped at her eyes. "I-Isaac..." she choked out, blinking rapidly in a vain attempt to stop the tears that were still falling.

Slowly, he sat up. He winced slightly at the cold of the desert night, and he idly noticed that Mia was now dressed in her heavy Imilian robes to protect herself, but he paid little attention to that fact. Even simply getting up was slightly difficult, however, as the revival spell he had performed earlier seemed to have robbed him of the strength he normally possessed. Still, though, he knew he would recover soon, so he paid that matter little mind as well. There was only one thing truly important to him now, and that was the beautiful girl before him.

For a moment, he and Mia simply smiled at each other silently. Isaac was struck by the thought that perhaps he should say something, anything to let her know just how relieved he was, but her smile seemed to have robbed him of his voice. Still, though, it didn't matter to him all that much, as seeing Mia so happy—let alone seeing Mia alive at all—was giving him such a warm, pleasant feeling that he doubted there was anything he could do or say to make the moment any better. When he did finally speak, his voice was soft, almost shy. "Hey," he murmured.

Mia's eyelids fluttered at that, her eyelashes sparkling in the light of the lantern. "H-hey," she responded quietly in turn, her smile growing even wider, if that was possible. She sniffled again, letting out a sound that could have almost been a joyful laugh. "Y-you're okay..." she added, her tears of happiness unending.

He was suddenly aware of the fact that he was blushing, was suddenly aware of just how touching it was that Mia had been watching over him, but all that realization did was make his eyes flick down to the floor of the tent quickly before rising again to her gaze. His smile widening as well, he looked straight into her crystal-blue eyes and answered softly, sincerely, "So are you."

Mia let out a brief chuckle at that, her eyes falling to the floor as well. "Me," she whispered almost incredulously, as though she couldn't believe the fact that Isaac was still worried about her more than himself. Looking up, she insisted, a watery smile on her face, "_You're_ the one who's been u-unconscious for the e-entire day. _You're_ the one who nearly—o-oh, _Isaac!_" With that, she could restrain herself no longer, and she leaned forward and flung her arms around him, crying out her relief into his shoulder. Isaac hesitated, surprised by her sudden action, but it was only for a moment. Smiling fondly at nothing in particular, he placed his arms around her slender frame, holding her close, allowing her to let out whatever emotions she needed to.

It was funny, he thought, how much more comfortable he felt hugging Mia without Garet or Ivan around to tease him about it. Under those circumstances he would have been a blushing, stammering mess, trying his best to keep the two boys from revealing his affection for the Mercury Adept. But with only the two of them there, Mia's embrace left him with nothing but a smile on his face and a pleasant warmth flooding his entire body. He lost himself in the sensation, reveling in it, knowing that if he could he would gladly stay in this position for hours.

She was such an amazing girl, Mia. So unselfishly kind and yet not to the point of naïveté, so beautiful and yet so reserved, so committed to their quest and yet always taking every opportunity she had to help others. Isaac thanked the heavens for giving him the chance to meet her, to get to know her, to fall in love with her... to save her. He knew without a doubt that she was irreplaceable, that there truly was no other girl like her anywhere on Weyard. If he had failed to revive her earlier that day... there was no telling what he might have done, both to others and himself.

But she was here now, with him, and there were no words to describe how lucky he felt to have her there. He gently stroked her azure hair as she cried, only semi-aware of what he was doing as he tried his best to keep himself from grinning like an idiot. "H-hey... it's okay," he said softly, soothingly. "I'm fine... I'm here."

Mia's only response was to hug him tighter, still sobbing uncontrollably.

The last time that Isaac had been in this position, in Babi's palace, he had felt almost ashamed when he had found out that he had worried Mia so much. But that had been following Colosso, when he had nearly gotten himself killed trying to prove to himself—and only himself—that he could fight on his own. This time, he had nearly given his life again, but this time it had not been for his own selfish reasons; it had been to save Mia. And Isaac couldn't feel bad about that, even if he had scared her. Had he _not_ nearly given his life... she wouldn't be there now to feel scared.

Nevertheless, even if he did feel justified in having done so much to save her, he still hated to see Mia in such a state, no matter what the reason. "Hey... come on, Mia," he said to her softly when her sobs didn't stop, though he was still smiling fondly as he held her close. "I'm okay now. You don't have to cry..."

At that, he could feel Mia's head rise slowly from his shoulder. But for a long while afterwards, her arms remained around him as she tried to calm herself down. Isaac, of course, didn't mind this one bit, so he held his embrace as well. He suddenly became conscious of the fact that he was still stroking her hair, but though he could feel heat rise to his face at that realization, he didn't stop. For some reason, even though he had never done it before, it seemed to be a perfectly natural gesture of comfort to him, and besides... she certainly didn't seem to be complaining about it...

Eventually, of course, Mia's tears had to end. But even after her sobs quieted to nothing, she still did not let go of him. Instead, Isaac felt a pang of warmth rush through his body as she rested her chin on his shoulder. One of her arms suddenly left his back, presumably to dry her eyes, but a moment later it returned to the same place it had been. "Oh, I-Isaac..." she said quietly, her voice still quite unsteady as she continued to hold him. "Y-you..." She swallowed hard, sniffling. "Y-you have n-no idea how s-scared I was..."

Truthfully, Isaac actually knew quite well how scared she had been, as there was no question he had felt the same fear when she had fallen to the Storm Lizard, but he felt that that would probably be a rather insensitive way to reply. Even though it had been almost a certainty to him that he would eventually recover, Mia had had no way of knowing that, and he didn't want to take the importance of the moment out for her. Unable to think of anything else to say, he softly replied, "It's okay." He still hadn't stopped stroking her hair.

He had to stop then, however, as Mia slowly, reluctantly pulled away from him, wiping at her eyes again. He winced slightly again as cold suddenly shot through him, both literally and figuratively—literally because her heavy robes were no longer covering him from the desert air; figuratively because despite all the emotion she had let out, her expression was still quite troubled as she drew away. His fond smile faded as he noticed this, turning into a small frown. What was wrong?

Mia stared at the floor of the tent, her breathing a bit shaky and her eyes still shining with tears. "I-I... I still don't understand what happened," she slowly said. "W-when you collapsed, I tried to use m-my psynergy to figure out what was wrong with you, a-and..." She paused for a moment, swallowing hard as the memory came back to her, and her gaze rose to his eyes for a moment before falling back to her knees. "Y-your life energies..." she continued. "Th-... they were just so _faint_. Y-you weren't hurt, a-and yet..." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to stop her tears from leaking forth again. "I... I-I couldn't help you. I-I had n-no idea what to do..."

Without thinking, Isaac leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mia, come on, there's no need for you to feel bad about this," he insisted, making a guess at what might be troubling her so. "I mean... I'm okay now, aren't I?" He gave her a small smile, trying to cheer her up. She didn't have to feel guilty about not having been able to help him, not when he had recovered just fine on his own...

Unfortunately, it seemed that his guess was incorrect. Mia didn't even look up from the floor to see his smile, and consequently it quickly faded as his hand dropped from her shoulder. She shook her head. "I-it's not that..." she replied slowly, frowning. "It's just—" She paused suddenly, letting out a breath, before looking up and catching him with an intense gaze. "What _happened_ to you?" she asked, intently. "I-I mean..." Her eyes lingered on his for a moment, but then she blinked, and her gaze fell back to the floor. "Garet and Ivan don't know what happened to you, either. None of us do."

Isaac looked away from her, staring off to his side at the wall of the tent with a frown. How, he wondered, could he possibly explain this to her? Not only did she not know what had happened to him, but it was very likely that she didn't know what had happened to herself, as well. Would she even believe him if he told her?

"Mia," he began slowly, prompting her to look up, though he didn't see it. He stared at the wall of the tent for a moment longer, before finally sighing and turning his gaze to her eyes. "Do you remember what happened when we were fighting the Storm Lizard?" he asked.

Mia looked slightly taken aback by the question. "W-well... yes, somewhat," she replied softly, uncertainly. "I..." She looked down, gingerly putting a hand to her stomach, almost as though the wound she had received earlier that day was still there. "I remember being attacked by the Storm Lizard," she said, very quietly. "A-and then... I remember you coming to heal me." She bit her lip, searching her memory. "After that... I can't remember. I guess I must have... fallen unconscious."

So she didn't know. Idly, Isaac debated whether it was a good idea to tell her at all—after all, there was no way to know how she would react to something like this. But she wanted to know, and he didn't have any real reason to keep the answer from her. He didn't know if it would be the best idea to tell her, but... he didn't really want to keep secrets from her, either.

Isaac wondered for a moment what would be the best way to tell her, but he quickly decided that if he was going to let her know about something like this, then he might as well get straight to the point before he lost his nerve. "Mia..." he said softly, staring at the floor. She looked up, but he didn't notice. He paused for a moment, letting out a breath, before gathering his courage and explaining, "You weren't unconscious. You were..." But the last word seemed stuck in his throat. It wasn't until he looked up at her curious, expectant crystal-blue eyes that he was finally able to get it out, his voice somber: "You were dead."

For an instant Mia's eyes held a look of confusion, as though she was convinced that she could not possibly have heard him correctly. A moment later, however, as the words started to sink in, a small, uneasy smile slowly formed on her face. "Y-... you're joking, right?" she asked slowly, uncertainly. She was smiling at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes—there was still a glint of what almost looked like fear in them, silently asking him to tell her that he hadn't really meant what she thought he had, that she hadn't really...

But Isaac could do nothing but shake his head. "No..." he answered softly, frowning slightly. "That's... what happened."

Mia's smile faded then, disbelief creeping into her expression as her eyes fell to the floor. "W-what? But..." she stammered out, "... h-how is that even _possible_? I'm—" She held out her hands, turning them over and inspecting them as though trying to determine if they were real. "I'm—I'm _here_, right now... how could I have...?" She looked up at him again, her expression agitated and the fearful glint in her eyes magnified. She didn't speak, but her eyes were silently begging him to explain what had happened to her, to just make sense of everything that was going on...

Isaac gave her a tiny smile, one that she did not return. "I brought you back," he explained softly, sincerely.

Mia blinked, now clearly even more confused, a whirlwind of emotions swirling in her crystal-blue eyes. "You can... do that?" she asked slowly, almost disbelievingly. "How is that... how did you...?"

Isaac's smile widened slightly, becoming almost sheepish as his hand went up to the back of his neck unconsciously. "It's... kind of hard to explain," he admitted, his eyes fixed on the blanket still covering his legs. Somehow it didn't really seem like now was the time to explain to her all the knowledge his djinn had given him about souls and whatnot. "But I... I had to give you some of my life energies to revive you, because yours were... gone," he explained slowly. "That's why I collapsed. I... I had to make sure that I gave you enough to... bring you back."

Mia did not give any sort of response to this. Instead her gaze simply fell down and to her side, her lips pursed in a small frown and her expression still one of slight disbelief. Truthfully, Isaac couldn't blame her if she thought what he had told her was impossible, as he probably would have felt the same way if he had heard about the same thing before today. Nevertheless, it was still what had happened, and Isaac wanted to make sure that she knew that. "Mia," he began. She didn't look up, but he continued anyway. "I understand if you don't believe me, but—"

"I believe you," Mia interrupted him quietly, still looking at the floor of the tent. "I-I'm sorry. It's just..." Slowly, her hand drifted up to her chest, clutching her robe. "This is a bit of a shock..."

It felt like he should respond, but Isaac couldn't think of anything to say to that. What _could_ he say, anyway? It wasn't like this was something he had experienced himself—he had no way of knowing what she was feeling, no way of knowing what thoughts were going through her head. He wished he could make her feel better, but he had no idea what he should do...

"I'm sorry," Mia repeated after a few moments, rising from her kneeling position and breaking Isaac out of his thoughts. "I-I just... I need some time to think." And without a word, she turned around and left the tent, not once looking at him. Isaac made a move to follow her, but a moment later settled back down onto his small bedroll. Perhaps, he reasoned, in a situation like this it would be better to let her sort through her thoughts on her own. Only she knew what she was feeling, after all, and she might just want to be by herself for a little while.

After a few moments, he could hear Mia's voice, muffled through the wall of the tent, along with Ivan's—the Jupiter Adept must have been on watch. They were talking softly, but Isaac's hearing wasn't nearly sharp enough to pick out the words. He thought he heard his name once or twice, but that was all. And a minute or so later, there was silence.

Isaac thought about going to sleep, but though his muscles felt weak, he didn't actually feel all that tired. In any case, he didn't think he would be able to fall asleep, because Mia's troubled expression somehow kept making its way into his head. Idly, even though he had decided not to follow her at first, he began to wonder whether it would be a good idea to go outside and see how she was doing. He initially dismissed the thought, but when she didn't come back into the tent after several minutes, he finally decided that he had to go and talk to her. She might want him to talk to her, she might not—he didn't know. But it would be better to at least try to cheer her up than to just sit in the tent silently and hope that she was feeling all right. He found his bag lying on the floor of the tent, pulled out and put on his dark blue cloak, turned out the lantern beside him, and went outside.

-----

There was no campfire between the three tents tonight—there wasn't nearly enough wood in the desert to get one started. As such, Isaac had to wrap his cloak tightly about himself to keep out the cold as he ventured outside to where Mia and Ivan were sitting. They both sat on the sand, opposite each other, illuminated by the light of the moon in the cloudless, starry sky and the flames of another small lantern between them. Mia was simply staring into the lantern blankly, seemingly unaffected by the cold, an inexplicable look of sadness in her eyes. Ivan, on the other hand, was huddled under his cloak, trying to keep warm. As he heard Isaac approaching, however, the Jupiter Adept looked up, seeming to forget the cold for a moment as his face split into a broad smile. "Isaac," he breathed happily. "You really _are_ okay."

Isaac grinned back at him, though truthfully his attention was more on Mia than Ivan. "Did you really think that Mia would lie to you?" he asked playfully, assuming for the moment that that was what the two of them had been talking about.

"Well, no," Ivan replied rather sheepishly. "It's just..." He glanced over at Mia, who was still staring into the flames of the lantern, seemingly not having heard a word of the conversation going on beside her. His smile faded slightly as he looked back up at Isaac, his expression curious. "Is it... true, what she told me?" he asked softly. "That she was... dead, and you were able to revive her?"

Isaac nodded, his grin also fading slightly. "Yeah," he replied, glancing at Mia. "I brought her back."

Ivan's smile widened, his eyes filling with both wonder and hope. "Then that means—"

"I know," Isaac interrupted him, smiling as well. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Ivan was referring to his prediction, but even though the danger had passed he was still a bit unsure as to whether or not he wanted Mia to know about that. He glanced again at the Mercury Adept, who still hadn't moved. "Is she all right?" he asked Ivan after a few moments, softly.

"I don't know," Ivan replied just as softly, also glancing at her. She was still staring at the lantern, despite the fact that the conversation was now about her. "She won't tell me what's wrong. To be honest, I thought she'd be a lot happier to see you awake."

"Yeah," Isaac agreed absently, no longer really paying attention to the Jupiter Adept. Slowly, he made his way over to where Mia was sitting, pulling his cloak tighter about himself as he sat down beside her. She didn't look up as he sat down, nor did she give any indication that she even noticed him there.

"Mia?" he asked softly, concerned. What was wrong with her?

For a long while she was silent, still staring at the lantern sadly. Undaunted, Isaac was about to call her name again, but then she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "You really should be resting," she said, not once looking at him.

Her tone was not angry or dismissive, but it still stung to hear her trying to push him away. Nevertheless, Isaac wasn't about to just leave her here in such a state. "I'll be fine," he insisted. Frowning slightly, he added, "I'm... more worried about you, to be honest."

Surprisingly, Mia's expression became almost fearful when he said that. Still, she continued to look away from him, seemingly debating whether or not to tell him what was bothering her. Finally, she spoke. "Isaac?" she asked very quietly, still staring at the lantern.

"Yeah?" Isaac replied, ready to listen to whatever she had to say.

Mia bit her lip, seemingly wondering how to give life to what she was thinking. "Do you—" she began, but she stopped short. She was silent for a few moments, and then she finally turned her head, looking up at him. The expression on her face as she gazed into his eyes was nervous, almost scared. "Do you think that I'm... strong enough to fight with you?" she asked slowly.

Isaac blinked, not having expected such a question. "W-what?" he asked, staring at her almost incredulously. "Of course I do! W-why would you—" Mia's gaze suddenly dropped to the ground almost shamefully, and Isaac stopped for a moment, lowering his voice. "Why would you think that I don't?" he asked, a bit more softly. Did she think that because of what had happened to her, he would no longer think of her as strong enough to be traveling with him and his friends?

Mia's eyes rose to meet his for a moment, before falling again to the sand beneath her. "I... I don't know..." she admitted, frowning. "It's just—" She suddenly paused for a moment, letting out a breath. "It just seems like... like you've been trying to keep me from fighting lately," she explained. "A-and... now that you tell me that I... died..."

"Is that what's wrong?" Isaac asked, somewhat nervously—had she really noticed what he had been doing to try and prevent Ivan's prediction? "Y-you think I'm... trying to keep you out of battles?"

"W-well... I don't really know what else I'm supposed to think," Mia replied softly, frowning as she turned her gaze back to the lantern. "I-I mean..." she continued, almost sadly, "I can understand if you don't think I'm a good fighter. I-I know I'm not as strong as you or—"

"I don't think that at all!" Isaac insisted quickly, causing her to look up at him again. It was true that he had been trying to keep her from fighting, but he didn't want her to think that she was weak...

"Well... what _do_ you think, then?" she asked, her eyebrows arching sadly. When Isaac couldn't think of any way to respond, she let out a sigh and absently ran a hand through her hair, her eyes falling back to the ground. "I-it just seems like every time we've encountered a monster in this desert, you've told me that I should stay back and heal," she explained. "I know I am a healer, but..." She looked up at him again, frowning slightly. "I can do more than just that, you know."

It was now Isaac's turn for his eyes to drop to the ground. "I know," he responded softly. "Mia, there's..." He debated against continuing for a moment, but finally decided that if she knew what he had been doing, she was going to ask for an explanation sooner or later, so he might as well give it to her now. "There's a reason I told you that," he admitted. "But it's not because I think you're not strong enough or anything like that—I don't," he added quickly, looking up.

"Then why did you tell me to stay back?" Mia asked. The frown was gone from her expression now; she was merely curious.

Isaac sighed. Should he really tell her? Even if he had had good intentions in doing so, he had still been keeping secrets from her, and there was no way to know how she would react to finding that out. Still, though... he had been trying to protect her, and she couldn't be mad at him, not if she knew that. "Mia..." he began, slowly. "Do you remember how Master Hama said that Jupiter Adepts sometimes have visions of the future?"

Mia blinked, taken aback by the seemingly unrelated question. "Yes..." she replied just as slowly, before she appeared to understand why he was asking that. Eyes widening slightly in realization, she glanced over at Ivan with a little gasp of surprise. "Did... Ivan have one of those visions?" she asked, her voice hushed as she turned back to Isaac. When he nodded, a sparkle of curiosity appeared in her eyes. "What did he see?" she asked.

Isaac looked away, unsure of whether or not he wanted to see her reaction. "Well... he saw what happened today," he explained slowly, somberly. "He saw that... you were going to die."

For a few moments, Mia didn't say anything. Hesitantly, Isaac looked back at her, only to find her staring at the sand in front of her, her eyebrows arching in a way that made her expression look almost hurt. "Then, you mean..." she began softly, and as she looked up, Isaac could see a hint of anger behind her eyes. "You _knew_ this was going to happen?" she asked.

A pang of guilt crossed Isaac's heart as she asked that, but he tried his best to push it away. He had kept Ivan's prediction secret from her, yes... but he had only been doing what he thought was best, and there was no need for him to feel bad about that. He sighed, his gaze falling to the ground beneath him before hesitantly returning to her eyes. "Well... yeah," he answered quietly.

Mia's expression became almost horrified when he said that, as though she couldn't believe that he was telling her such things. She shook her head rapidly, her mouth open slightly and the anger behind her eyes intensifying. "Why didn't you _tell_ me?" she demanded.

Isaac closed his eyes as she asked that, almost as though her words were a blow that he was trying to withstand. When he opened them again, he found Mia glaring at him, her expression a mixture of hurt and anger. It was understandable, he supposed, but she didn't know the whole story. "Mia, please, calm down," he said quietly. "Let me explain..."

But Mia would apparently have none of it. "Explain!" she cried, her expression only becoming more furious. "What is there to explain? You—you _knew_ that this was going to happen, and you—" Abruptly her hands flew up to her face in frustration. "I-I don't _believe_ you! Why would you—"

"Mia, _listen_ to me," Isaac cut her off, her furious tone causing his own anger to rise slightly. "I-it's not like we knew that this was going to happen today. Ivan didn't see when, or how, or anything like that. All we knew is that... it was going to happen sooner or later."

"So you just decided to keep it a _secret_?" Mia demanded, not at all appeased. She shook her head again, disbelief creeping into her eyes. "Why would you _ever_ think that that was a good idea?"

"Well Mia, it's not like this was something that I could just up and _tell_ you about," Isaac fired back, his own anger rising steadily. Why wasn't she listening to him? "I had no idea how you would react!"

"That's no reason not to tell me!" Mia countered, looking more hurt by the second. Normally this would have made Isaac feel quite guilty, but at the moment all he was concerned about was showing her that he was right. "If you _knew_ that this was going to happen, then you should've at least—"

"Mia, you're not listening!" Isaac interrupted her again, his expression rapidly becoming more and more annoyed. "I'm trying to explain myself here, but you won't even give me a chance to say anything!"

Mia opened her mouth, presumably to give him another angry retort, but as she realized what he was saying she quickly closed it again, preferring to just glare at him instead. "Fine then," she finally muttered, her anger not diminishing in the slightest as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Explain."

But now that he had inadvertently put himself on the spot, Isaac seemed to lose the confidence that he had originally felt, and he looked away from her for a moment. Nevertheless, he had to press onwards; he knew Mia would understand if she only listened to what he had to say. He turned back to her. "Mia," he began to explain, his voice a little softer than before, "the reason I told you to stay back was because I was trying to make sure that Ivan's vision couldn't come true."

He was going to say more, but Mia once again didn't give him a chance to finish. "I _know_ that," she retorted, as though that fact had been obvious to her the entire time. Her expression hadn't changed one bit. "What I _want_ to know is why you didn't tell me about this vision in the first place! I could've at least _understood_ why you wanted me not to fight if you told me!"

"Because I thought that you'd be scared!" Isaac countered, his anger rising again. "Admit it, Mia—if you _knew_ that you were going to die, you wouldn't just forget about it! It'd _always_ be on your mind, and that wouldn't exactly be a good thing if a monster approached!"

"So you'd rather just have me feel _worthless_ instead?" Mia fired back, the hurt shining through her eyes now. "Do you have _any idea_ how it made me feel when you kept telling me to stay back? I thought that you didn't want me around anymore! I thought that you felt I wasn't strong enough to fight with you!"

"Well I'd much rather have you feel that way than have you end up _dead_, Mia!" Isaac yelled. Why didn't she understand?

"But why were you even so scared about that?" Mia demanded furiously. "If you knew you had your _revival_ spell all this time—"

"_I didn't know that!_" Isaac cut her off.

And for once, Mia didn't seem to have an angry response to those words ready. She was silent for a few moments, glaring at him, confusion slowly mixing with the anger in her eyes. Her tone turned out to be still the same, however. "You didn't _know_?" she asked. "What do you mean, you didn't _know_?"

"I didn't know!" Isaac explained simply. "I had no idea that spell even _existed_ until today! My djinn only taught it to me after you... you..." He trailed off, but it was quite clear to both him and Mia what he was referring to.

Once again, Mia appeared to be struck speechless, though she continued to glare at him. But at the same time, the reason behind her anger suddenly seemed a lot clearer to Isaac. "Mia," he continued, "if I had known that I would be able to revive you, then I would have told you about Ivan's prediction right away! But I—" He let out a breath, trying to calm himself down slightly. "When Ivan told me that you were going to die, I thought that meant you weren't coming back! _That's_ why I didn't tell you—I wanted to protect you, but if it was something that was definitely going to happen, then I didn't want you to be constantly scared about it for... for the rest of the time you had left..."

Still, Mia was silent, glaring at him angrily. But her expression also seemed to be shifting slowly, two patches of red growing on her cheeks. It was not out of anger, though—it seemed to Isaac to be something more like shame, or humiliation. She glared at him for a few moments longer, seeming to want to say something, before finally wrenching her gaze from his almost violently, her azure hair whipping about her as she turned to stare determinedly at the sand away from him. Though Isaac could no longer see her face, he could still see and hear her breathing, which now seemed quite heavy.

It was at this time that Ivan, who had been silent throughout the entire argument, decided to speak up. "Mia, why are you so mad at him?" he asked, sounding almost confused. "I mean... I can understand if you don't like the decision he made, but... he just literally brought you back from the dead," he remarked. "And he nearly killed himself trying. Shouldn't you be, well, you know... a little more grateful?"

Mia's only response was to turn to him and give him an angry, humiliated glare as well. As with Isaac, she seemed to want to say something to him, but she remained silent. And after a few moments, she turned away, returning to staring determinedly at the sand away from Isaac. She didn't seem to want to talk with either of them any longer.

Truthfully, Isaac wasn't quite sure how to feel. He had essentially won the argument, yes, but he certainly hadn't meant to make Mia feel so humiliated, and seeing her reduced to such a state was giving him little sense of accomplishment. "Mia..." he began softly, but he stopped short. What was there to say?

Mia's voice cut through the silence. "You still should've told me," she muttered darkly, still looking away from him.

Isaac sighed, suddenly tired of this little feud between them. He loved Mia—why was he even fighting with her at all? "Look, Mia, you're _right_, okay?" he declared, the anger draining from his voice. He meant it, too—he wasn't just saying it to make her feel better. "You're right. I should've told you. But I _didn't_, and... and you can yell at me all you like, but it isn't going to change anything."

Mia gave no response to this, which only caused Isaac to sigh again, this time more out of sadness than frustration. "Mia, just..." he continued softly, "... you have to believe me. Maybe it was a stupid idea not to tell you, but I... I only wanted to keep you safe." He paused for a moment, checking to see if she had done anything in response. She hadn't; she was still staring away from him, though her breathing seemed to have slowed back to normal. Taking this as a sign that he was getting somewhere, he placed a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the cold that instantly shot through his now-unprotected arm. "Mia..." he pleaded, softly. "Do you have any idea how scared I was when Ivan told me what he saw? When he told me, I... the only thing I could think about was how to make sure it didn't come true. I didn't want to lose you, Mia, I..."

But there was nothing more that he could say, short of coming out and telling her how he really felt for her. And he couldn't do that; it would be a terrible idea to say something like that if she was still angry at him. All he could do now was wait, and hope that she would understand.

For what seemed like an eternity, Mia continued staring away from him. But just as he was about to give up, just as he was about to take his hand away and return to his tent, she slowly turned her head. The anger was gone from her expression now; all that was left was the same look of sadness she had been wearing on her face when he had first come outside. Her gaze first settled on the hand on her shoulder, and she stared at it for a moment, as though trying to decide what to do next. Then, slowly, her crystal-blue eyes traveled up his arm, eventually coming to rest on his face.

For a long while, she stared at him silently, almost nervously. Finally, her gaze fell to the small gap of sand between them. When she spoke, her tone was almost shameful, barely above a whisper. "... I'm sorry," she said.

Isaac gave her a tiny, fond smile, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "... It's okay," he replied just as softly. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry, too."

Mia looked up at that, giving him a tiny, fond smile to match his. Then, slowly, she stood up, smiling down at him. "I'm... glad you're okay," she remarked, very quietly, still giving him that fond smile. She stared at him for a moment longer, then turned away, trudging back towards the tent they shared without another word. Isaac watched her go, smiling the entire time. She really was such an amazing girl...

He was broken out of his thoughts, however, as he suddenly heard a snicker from outside his field of vision. He turned towards Ivan, only to find the Jupiter Adept grinning at him like a maniac.

"So when's the wedding?" the younger boy asked, causing Isaac to blush profusely.

* * *

One of the points that I really wanted to get across in this chapter—and one of the things a lot of fanfiction authors seem to miss—is the fact that even when two people are in love with each other, they're not automatically going to understand and agree with every decision that the other makes. It's extremely important when writing about any romantic relationship to remember that no matter how compatible the two people involved may be, they are still two _distinct_ people, each with their own thoughts and ideas. As such, no matter how much they may love each other, there are eventually going to be clashes. These fights happen in every relationship, and how the two people involved deal with these fights when they happen is usually a big factor in determining whether or not the relationship will survive in the long term. 

I know Isaac and Mia aren't yet in a relationship, per se, but I hope it's become pretty obvious by now that they love each other, and that the dynamic between them is pretty much the same. I also know that I kind of ended their argument before it could really have an effect on the relationship between them—since to be honest, in most relationships, these kinds of things tend to fester for awhile before being resolved—but you guys didn't want another "you're so beautiful" soap opera, now did you? ;)

Anyway, what'd you guys think? You can see now why exactly I decided to separate this chapter from chapter ten—at 6,700 words, it's even longer than the previous one was. But then again, length doesn't determine how good a chapter is. So let me know, guys—did you like it? Was everyone in character? Was there anything you think that could be improved? Please, don't hesitate to point out anything that you think should be fixed. I can't improve my writing if you don't, after all.

As a final note, it looks like this whole "no-deadline" plan was a colossal failure, so I'm bringing the deadline back. Why? Well, I think I've finally narrowed down why it takes me so long to write these chapters. It's certainly not because I don't _want_ to write them, since again, I really do... but writing takes a lot of effort, and sometimes I feel like I don't want to put any effort into anything, especially when things like video games and hanging out with my friends (which don't take any effort at all) are just a click away and right down the hall, respectively. Thankfully, though, I've seen from previous chapters that having a deadline really gets me to sit my butt down and write, so hopefully bringing the deadline plan back will fix that problem. :)

But in the meantime, happy Chanukah (yay) and merry Christmas to all, and until next time...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Mia and Ivan  
**expect next chapter by: **January 8, at the latest January 15_


	12. Mia and Ivan: Uncertain Feelings

Happy new year, everyone!

Ah... it feels _so_ much better to get a chapter out on time. Well... nearly on time, anyway. But one day isn't so bad, right:P Even better, in this chapter I finally get to make a return to something that I've been missing since chapter seven or so: a chance to write a regular conversation between the characters _without_ some major plot element weighing on their minds. I hope you guys will like this, too. :)

Anyway, review responses are out as usual, and anonymous reviewer thanks for this chapter go to _Maver1ck22_, _RandomReader_, and _Kodoku_. Now, here's chapter 12!

_**chapter twelve**  
Mia and Ivan  
**uncertain feelings**_

For the third straight night, Mia couldn't sleep.

The small, thin bedroll that she lay on in the darkened tent was hardly the most comfortable bed in the world. When she had first joined Isaac, Garet and Ivan on their journey, the uncomfortable conditions at night had nearly made her reconsider her decision. But after nearly three straight months of staying in a tent, Mia had long since gotten used to not usually having a warm bed to sleep in. She still disliked it somewhat, but the thin bedroll was the only bed she had out in the wilderness. Besides, she knew, she needed her rest if she wanted to survive on this journey.

But as she lay on her bedroll tonight, just like the two nights before, her thoughts of a certain crystal-blue-eyed, blond-haired boy were making sleep impossible.

She was thankful, at least, that the tent was dark. She didn't know what she would do if she were able to see Isaac sleeping only a few feet away from her. Even now, the mere thought that he was right there, right next to her in the darkness was enough to set her heart racing, enough to fill her mind with all sorts of crazy ideas that under any other circumstance she wouldn't even consider. She could reach out and touch him, if she wanted to. She could hold his hand in hers without him knowing, savoring his warmth. Or maybe, if she was feeling really daring, she could turn up the lantern just enough to see his face and lean over and give him a little k—

She stopped herself abruptly. Slowly, she sat up, frowning and hugging her knees to her chest in the darkness. What was happening to her? These thoughts... they weren't normal, weren't her own. And yet they wouldn't stop, constantly popping into her head from nowhere whenever she thought about Isaac, whenever she found herself alone with him. Ever since that day in the Suhalla, ever since that day when he had revived her, these crazy, ridiculous ideas had been coming to her at night with alarming frequency, to the point where she actually had to consciously tell herself _not_ to think about Isaac if she wanted to have any chance at making them go away. And even then the thoughts would always come back, causing her breathing to quicken in the darkness and making any chance at sleep impossible.

The thoughts were silly, of course, preposterous ideas that she knew she would never actually bring herself to do. Even now, even though she was in the darkness where no one could hear her thoughts and no one could see, the mere thought of reaching out and holding his hand was making her blush profusely. Let alone the thought of kissing him without him knowing—that one sent so much blood rushing to her face that it made her feel almost dizzy. She knew she would never have the courage to go through with any of these ideas, but they kept on coming anyway.

What was stranger still was the fact that despite the fact that she kept telling herself that she would never do these things, despite the fact that she felt that she would never have the courage to act upon these thoughts in her head... despite all that, the more she thought about these ideas, the more she felt that she _wanted_ to go through with them. Even as she told herself that they were insane, that they were ridiculous, she felt her resolve weakening, felt her body filling with a sort of crazy bravery that only a few nights ago she would have never thought possible. She could do it, she reasoned. All she had to do was turn up the lantern slightly, and then it would take less than a second. Besides, she figured as her heart starting racing again, he was asleep and wouldn't know and all she would have to do was lean over and—

Once again she had to stop herself, her face burning red. What was she thinking?

She sighed again and lay back down on her bedroll, even though she knew that she wouldn't be getting to sleep anytime soon—and not just because of these odd urges that kept haunting her. Unsettling though they were, they weren't really the thing that was keeping her awake. What _was_ keeping her awake were her thoughts about another feeling that seemed to have recently sprouted within her, one whose origin she couldn't quite determine but of whose presence she was quite certain. It was the strangest feeling she had ever felt, a mixture of happiness and nervousness and affection and hope and so many other emotions... and it all seemed to be centered around a certain blue-eyed boy.

And she couldn't be sure, but Mia thought that she might just know what the feeling was. For the past three nights she had been trying to figure out what exactly she was feeling for Isaac, and now, as she lay on her bedroll, she felt that she finally understood.

She was falling in love with him.

Of course, though, it was impossible to say for certain. She had never truly been in love before—the only other boy that she had ever really liked was Alex, and that had just been a silly little thing for him, nothing real—so she couldn't tell if that was what she was really feeling. But three nights ago, that night after he had used that revival spell to save her—at least it _felt_ like that was when it had happened, though for all she knew this feeling had been within her for far longer than that—she had become aware of this new feeling within her, one that felt so much like her secret affection for Isaac that she had held for almost a month now, and yet at the same time so different and so much stronger.

Was it love? She didn't know. But she did know that no matter what she called the feeling, she had never felt this strongly for another person in her entire life. Even just being around Isaac now, just talking with him, laughing with him... that alone was enough to fill her with a warm, happy feeling that she knew she would never feel around any other boy. And these odd impulses that she was starting to get around him, these strange urges to touch him, to hug him, to kiss him, well... for a normally shy girl such as herself, they certainly weren't something that she would feel around just anyone. Isaac was so much more than just a close friend to her now—he was the most wonderful, amazing person that she had ever met, and sometimes, when she was talking with him, she found that she wanted to tell him she felt that way so badly that she was afraid the words might just burst out of her without her thinking.

But that raised another problem. Mia had liked Isaac for awhile, but before now her affection for the Venus Adept had always been something she preferred to keep secret, something which she had always known about but that she had never felt a need to actually tell him. Now, however, was a different story. Now, she felt so strongly for him that she didn't think she would be able to keep her feelings a secret much longer. And not even that—she no longer _wanted_ to keep her feelings a secret. She _wanted_ to tell him. She _wanted_ him to know how much he meant to her. And most importantly... she wanted to hear him tell her the same, wanted to tell him and find out that he felt the same way about her.

The problem, though, was that she _didn't_ know whether or not he felt the same way about her. And the possibility that he might _not_ feel the same way, the possibility that she might tell him how she felt only to end up getting her heart broken and looking like a giant fool... that alone was more than enough to discourage her from just coming out and saying it to him. She wanted to tell him, wanted to let him know just how deeply she cared for him, but if he didn't feel the same way for her, well... if that were the case, she would much rather just not tell him and remain close friends with him than destroy their friendship by revealing her feelings.

So for the past three nights, as she lay awake, Mia had not only been trying to figure out what she felt for Isaac... she had also been trying to figure out whether he felt the same way about her.

Oh, there were signs, and she hadn't missed them. The biggest one, by far, was the event that had made her start thinking this way about him in the first place—the fact that he had nearly given his life to save her back in the Suhalla. But while it was certainly a sign that he cared deeply about her, and it would certainly seal the deal for any other boy... for someone as kind as Isaac, the fact that he had nearly killed himself trying to revive her could mean anything. There was no doubt in Mia's mind that if the person the Storm Lizard had attacked had been Garet or Ivan and not her, Isaac would have done the same for them without a second thought. And it was true that they weren't girls, but that hardly made a difference. Isaac was just the sort of person that cared for and would do anything to help his friends, male or female. For goodness's sake, the entire reason Isaac had wanted to go on this quest in the first place was to save his friend Jenna, and that was someone he had even admitted to her that he did _not_ love, at least not in the way that Mia was currently thinking about.

But there were other signs as well. There was, of course, the fact that he thought she was beautiful, something that brought a smile to her face just thinking about it. There was the fact that he always seemed most comfortable talking to her, how she was always the one that he would immediately turn to whenever something was troubling him. And—this one might have just been her imagination, but she was all but certain it was there just the same—there was the fact that he seemed to look at her differently than he did his other friends, the fact that he seemed to smile at her in a special way that was reserved for her and only her. Alone, each of those signs meant little, but together, well... maybe...

The problem, however, was that while those signs were certainly enough to give her _hope_ that Isaac might like her back... none of them were guarantees that he actually did. After all, with someone as kind as Isaac, how was she supposed to tell the difference between what he would do for his friends and what he would do only for someone he loved?

It was times like these when Mia wished she weren't the only girl in the group. If it came down to it, she could always ask Garet or Ivan if they thought that Isaac liked her, but while they were her close friends, the idea of asking a boy about something like that just seemed weird to her, not to mention horribly embarrassing. The thought of talking about that sort of thing with a girl, though... it didn't seem nearly as hard. And furthermore, Mia knew... if there was another girl in the group, she would easily be able to see if Isaac treated the other girl any differently than he treated her. Still, though, Mia knew there was no point in continuing that line of thought. As far as she knew... Isaac had no plans of adding another person to their ranks.

There was, however, one other way that she could find out for certain whether Isaac liked her, one that had been haunting her mind for the past three nights. It was a method she had known about all along, a method that would leave absolutely no doubt as to what he felt for her. And it would be easy, all she would have to do was ask a simple request from another one of her friends. At the same time, though... it just felt so _wrong_. Even if no harm could come of it... it would just be so hypocritical of her to ask Ivan to read Isaac's mind.

Nevertheless, the idea had planted itself in her head long ago, and had refused to go away. After all, she figured, what better way was there to ensure everyone's happiness? She knew Isaac cared for her, even if he didn't like her the way she liked him. And if he truly didn't feel the same way as she did, telling him how she felt would not only end with her being heartbroken, but would also force Isaac to reject her, something that she knew would make the Venus Adept feel terribly guilty and probably destroy any chance at further friendship. But if she found out that he didn't feel the same way before she told him, well... it would hurt to find that out, she knew it would hurt, but it would pass eventually, and he would never have to know—she would be able to continue being close friends with him. And besides, for all she knew she might find out that he _did_ like her... and that would be all the encouragement that she would ever need.

But at the same time... how could she possibly consider this the right thing to do? Isaac had a right to his own privacy, after all, so what made it okay for her to invade his thoughts and learn about feelings that he might not want to reveal? Just because Ivan had read _her_ mind didn't make it all right for him to read Isaac's mind as well. And even that was considering that the Jupiter Adept would actually agree to it—why would Ivan ever agree to such a request when she had berated him so badly for doing the same to her? She was being a complete hypocrite, no matter how good her intentions were, and she knew Ivan would notice that.

This debate had been continuing in her mind for three nights now, and she knew it wouldn't end until she either actually spoke with Ivan or definitively told herself that she couldn't. But even with three nights to think about it... she still hadn't been able to do either of those things. Every time she had worked up the nerve to speak with Ivan, she had somehow managed to convince herself that it was wrong to do so. And every time she had told herself that she couldn't do this and had to figure out another way to determine Isaac's feelings, the idea would come roaring back, because no matter what she felt, it was the best option she had by far. So she would lay awake on her bedroll, trying to figure out what she should do. How was she supposed to get to sleep, anyway, when she had had not only this dilemma, but also her thoughts about both her and Isaac's feelings running through her head?

Tonight, however, that was going to change. She would look back on this night later, and she still wouldn't be able to figure out what drove her to finally do it. But she knew Ivan was on watch, and maybe it was that crazy bravery, maybe it was the desire to finally get this thought out of her head, but _something_ was telling her that she had to go and ask him to do this. If he refused, he refused. If it turned out that Isaac didn't like her, then there was nothing she could do about that. But it would be better to just ask Ivan to do this now than to spend any more nights awake because she couldn't gather her courage. Sitting up, she felt for her bag beside her, then rummaged around within it as quietly as she could until she felt the familiar smoothness of her pale blue cloak. She pulled it about herself, careful to keep it on her side of the tent so as to not hit Isaac with it, and then, gathering her courage with a deep breath, she pulled open the front flap of the tent and quickly left so that the light of the campfire wouldn't bother him.

-----

The sands of the Suhalla had long since given way to the rocky plateaus that surrounded the Venus Lighthouse, but while at times the place seemed as barren as the desert, the group had fortunately been able to find enough shrubs and small trees to find enough wood for a small campfire. Thankfully, the nights in this place did not get nearly as cold as the nights in the Suhalla, so while it was still a little chilly, Mia's cloak was all the protection she needed from the air as she left her tent. It was a crisp, clear night, the air silent except for the chirping of insects and the crackling of the campfire.

The group had made camp in one of the wider open spaces of the plateaus, the narrow paths and high cliffs in the area giving them little choice in the matter. To Mia's left there was a wall of brown rock that had to be at least fifty feet high; to her right, only a short distance away, was a sudden drop that vanished into the darkness of the night. And between the two, on the flat, rocky ground, there were the two tents and the campfire... as well as a certain Jupiter Adept, sitting on the ground and poking the fire lazily with a twig, which ever so often released a few burning embers into the air.

Ivan was sitting facing away from her, and he hadn't yet noticed her there. But Mia had barely taken two steps towards the campfire before she froze, a familiar feeling of nervousness and doubt assailing her. What was she doing? This was silly... this was _wrong_. Why was she even out here? She should be back in her tent, getting her rest for tomorrow's travels.

Fortunately, Ivan hadn't noticed her yet—she could still leave. But before she could even turn around, the blond boy turned his head, and Mia could feel her heart plummet into her stomach as he caught sight of her and his gaze turned to her, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Oh, hey Mia," he said softly, a small, friendly smile forming on his face as he realized at whom he was looking. "What are you doing up? I thought you had third watch tonight."

Mia sighed, looking away. Well, she couldn't turn back now—Ivan was certainly more than perceptive enough to not be willing to take "nothing" for an answer. "I..." she began softly, taking a few steps forward and sitting down beside him. But again, that feeling of doubt came rushing back. She couldn't ask him to do this; he was obviously going to refuse or worse, laugh at her. Still, though, she had to say something. "I don't really know..." she finally said with another sigh, frowning as she stared into the campfire. Hopefully that would be enough to get him to leave her alone for a bit.

But Ivan was her friend too, and he obviously was concerned about what was bothering her. It didn't take him long to figure it out, however. He stared at her silently for a few moments, then grinned, though Mia couldn't see it. "You're thinking about Isaac, aren't you?" he asked almost casually.

Mia's head shot up and turned to Ivan so quickly that it was a miracle she didn't break her neck. "What?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. How did he know that? He hadn't read her mind, had he? "How do you—"

But Ivan cut her off by suddenly bursting out laughing, causing her to flush with embarrassment and turn her gaze back to the campfire, her frown deepening. "S-sorry," Ivan explained once he had calmed himself down. "I-it's just... you should have seen your face..."

Mia gave no response to this, preferring to continue staring at the campfire. Oh, why had she even come out here? She had known from the start that this was a stupid idea, that Ivan was probably just going to laugh at her. But she couldn't leave now—the Jupiter Adept would get concerned. Not that she particularly cared about his feelings at this moment, but...

"All right, I'm sorry, that was mean of me," Ivan continued after a few moments, seeming to realize that Mia wasn't in the mood for jokes. "No hard feelings, right?"

Mia sighed again, feeling a bit of her annoyance drain out of her—this _was_ how Ivan normally acted, after all. But still...

"Oh come on Mia, don't be like that," Ivan added when she didn't reply, now sounding slightly hurt. "You know I wasn't trying to be mean. We're friends, right?"

Mia turned to him at that, still frowning slightly. "Well, I came out here to ask you a question," she began, her tone laced with annoyance. "But now that I see you're just going to laugh at me, I'm starting to think it wasn't such a good idea."

"_Mi-a_, come on, it was just a joke," Ivan whined as the Mercury Adept turned her gaze back to the fire. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? What do you want me to say?"

Mia took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly and absently running a hand through her hair. Why was she doing this? She was taking all the frustration she had felt laying awake these past few nights and taking it out all on someone who didn't deserve it. "I'm sorry," she finally replied softly, almost shyly, putting a hand to her face in exasperation as she continued to stare at the fire. "I'm just... I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"Is it about Isaac?" Ivan asked again, his tone completely serious this time.

Mia felt annoyance flash through her again at that, and she had turned to him and had almost opened her mouth to shout at him again when she realized that he was genuinely trying to help. Once again she felt the annoyance drain out of her, nervousness and shyness taking its place. "Well..." she replied softly, "sort of..."

Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Sort of?" he asked rather skeptically.

"All right, it _is_ about Isaac, are you happy?" she yelled at him, momentarily forgetting that she might wake someone up if she was too loud. But when she noticed Ivan's surprised and almost hurt expression, she frowned and turned away, now angrier at herself than at the Jupiter Adept beside her. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm... a little frustrated."

"It's all right," Ivan replied softly after a few moments, his tone serious again. "So... what's the problem, then?"

Mia was silent for a moment, the nervousness and doubt once again flooding her body. Should she really ask him to do this? Ivan was her friend, and she knew he would understand why she wanted to make such a request of him, but how he would react to it was a different matter entirely. Nevertheless, she was already out here, and walking away now when she had this chance would just be stupid of her. "Well, like I said..." she began slowly, not looking at him, "I came out here... because I wanted to ask you a question."

Ivan smirked, though Mia didn't see it. "I think I know what you want to ask me," he said, his tone almost playful, so that she couldn't really tell if he was being serious or not. "You want to know whether I think Isaac likes you back, right?"

Mia's face reddened slightly at that. Well... that was sort of what she wanted, she supposed, but... that wasn't quite what she had in mind. But she had barely managed to turn her head halfway towards him to tell him so when he spoke again, not waiting for her reply. "Because if it is," he continued, "then the answer is a resounding 'yes.'"

And for a moment, Mia was quite unsure of what to do or say. By the time Ivan's words had sunk in completely, her heart was racing again, millions of thoughts rushing through her head. Was that really what he thought? Did Isaac really...? She turned to him fully at that, her expression a mixture of curiosity and surprise. "I... really?" she asked very quietly, which caused Ivan to smile warmly at her—not a playful grin, an actual smile. "He... I-Isaac..."

Ivan chuckled at that, looking away as he poked the fire with his twig again, sending a few more orange embers flying into the air. "Mia," he explained with a smile, "I don't know if you've been paying attention, but it's been obvious to at least me and Garet that Isaac has been falling for you, and _badly_." He turned back to her, a glint of mischief now present in his violet eyes. "Why do you think we wanted to get you two together in the first place?"

But Mia couldn't reply; a pleasant warmth was now slowly flooding her body, making it very difficult to speak. She was sure she was blushing fiercely, but somehow she found it hard to care. "I-is that... true?" she asked him very softly, still quite shocked. "D-does Isaac... does he really... like me that way?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Ivan asked, feigning hurt. "Of course it's true. Why would I lie to one of my friends?" Suddenly, however, he seemed to realize something, his eyes falling to the ground for a moment before returning to her still-astonished gaze. "Er, that _is_ what you were going to ask me, right?"

Those words seemed to bring Mia back to earth, her original request popping back into her mind. And yet somehow, thanks to Ivan's words, she didn't really feel the need to ask him that anymore. She knew that Ivan had no way of knowing for certain what Isaac felt for her, but somehow, hearing that she was not the _only_ one who thought that Isaac might like her seemed to instill her with a confidence and happiness that was rivaled only by the bliss she had felt following Colosso, when Isaac had first called her beautiful.

"I... yes," Mia lied, preferring not to let Ivan know about her request—his words were already all the reassurance she needed. She stood up, smiling down at the Jupiter Adept. "Thanks," she added after a moment, running a hand through her hair. "That... really makes me feel a lot better."

Ivan just smiled. "Anytime," he replied. "I'm sure this is going to make Isaac pretty happy too," he added, grinning mischievously.

Mia chose to ignore that last comment, returning to her tent. As she opened the flap, though, the light from the campfire a short distance away illuminated Isaac's sleeping face slightly. She stopped in the opening for a moment, smiling down at him. And maybe it was because of the pleasant warmth rushing through her body, maybe it was because of that crazy bravery that had been filling her lately, but before she had had a chance to think about it, before she had even realized what she was doing, she had leaned down and kissed him lightly upon the cheek.

When she drew away, she knew without a doubt that her face was burning red, but she was too happy to care. As quietly as she could, she made her way into the tent, removed her cloak, and lay down again on her bedroll. Now, of course, she thought with a smile, all she had to do was tell him. And maybe it wouldn't be tonight, maybe it wouldn't be tomorrow... but she knew she would find a time that was perfect.

Meanwhile, Ivan stared silently at Isaac and Mia's tent, a shocked but nevertheless mischievous grin on his face. Had Mia just done what he thought she had? Garet was going to _love_ hearing about this...

* * *

I've got to say, I'm not really sure what to think about this chapter. It feels very similar to chapter seven, when Mia spoke with Garet... very necessary to the plot, but at the same time not advancing the plot at all. What do you guys think? And remember, don't hesitate to tell me if you think someone is out of character, or there's something wrong, or anything. I can only improve my writing if you tell me what needs to be worked on.

Anyway, the rest of this story is pretty much fully planned out at this point, so I can tell you guys that there are now four more chapters to go. But remember... anything could happen in those four chapters. ;) In the meantime, though...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Isaac and Garet  
**expect next chapter by: **February 7, at the latest February 14_


	13. Isaac and Garet: Unexpected Revelation

Hello again, everyone! In a display of sheer brilliance, it seems I set my deadline for this chapter to the same day as one of my midterms. So apologies for this chapter being late... as much as I love writing this story, I _would_ also like to pass my econ class. ;P

Since I mentioned in the last update that there are only four chapters left in this story, I've been getting a lot of questions in reviews about how the story is going to progress from here, whether it will stretch into TLA, and all sorts of other stuff. I figured I'd take the time here to answer a few of these questions, since I'm sure a lot of you are curious about what's going to happen next. Obviously, though, I can't tell you guys everything—I'm not about to give the rest of the story away. :P

Anyway, one of the most common questions I've received in reviews is whether or not this story will continue into the timeline of The Lost Age. The answer to that question is no... unless I decide to do a sequel. What that sequel will entail, I can't really say right now (since I'm still not certain whether or not I'm actually going to do it), but I am absolutely sure that if I do write one, it's going to involve a very, very jealous Jenna. ;)

The other main question I've been asked is whether the story is going to end with Isaac and Mia revealing their feelings for each other, or if it will continue a little beyond that. The answer to this one is the latter, as just ending the story with Isaac and Mia saying their I-love-yous would prevent me from showing how their relationship actually develops following that, something I _really_ want to write. So yes, I'll be showing at least a little of the aftermath following the big confessions. :)

Finally, as we near the end of this story, several readers have been warning me not to write, as _Rexnos_ so eloquently put it, "the whole I-love-you-before-the-final-boss-fight" type of confession. Rest assured that that was never my plan to begin with. ;) Actually, the final fight with Saturos and Menardi is probably going to be taking a back seat in this fic, as there's not going to be anything happening in that battle that is relevant to the plot of this story. But as for a certain event _following_ that battle, well... nah, that would be a spoiler. :P

Now that that's out of the way, review responses are out as always, with anonymous reviewer thanks for the previous chapter going to _Maver1ck22_ and _Hopeful_ (sorry I had to disappoint you). Anyway, here we go with chapter 13! This one's a fun one...

_**chapter thirteen**  
Isaac and Garet  
**unexpected revelation**_

The sounds of rowdy conversation drifted up from the tavern downstairs, echoing through the long, lantern-lit hallway of the Lalivero inn. It was a little early to want to go to bed, Isaac supposed as he listened to the chatter, but he knew he needed to be especially well-rested tonight. They were close to Saturos and Menardi now, possibly less than a half-day's travels away. If he and his friends caught up to them tomorrow while exploring Babi Lighthouse... Isaac knew that he would have to be prepared for anything.

He was leaning against a wall in the middle of the hallway now, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Mia to finish changing into her nightgown in the room next to him. He should have been using the small chance to gather his thoughts he had now to think about the impending battle with Saturos and Menardi, to perhaps devise a strategy he and his friends could use against the two warriors. He should have been using the time he had now to run himself through a mental checklist, to make sure that he was prepared for the following day. He should have, he knew he should have... but he couldn't.

Because tonight, more so than ever, Isaac couldn't tear his mind away from thoughts of a certain crystal-blue-eyed, azure-haired girl.

There wasn't any question in his mind now why that was the case. He had fallen for the shy, gentle healer from Imil... and_ hard_. He had known for awhile that he was fond of her, had always known that he held a little affection for her, but up until that day in the Suhalla... he had never really thought of his feelings for her as anything truly serious. When that Storm Lizard had struck her down, however... the despondence, the sheer _despair_ he had felt when he had realized that the life had left her body had been more than enough to convince him that his feelings for her ran far deeper than just a simple affection, far deeper than that silly crush he had once held for Jenna.

He loved Mia. He felt more strongly for her than for any other person he had ever known, and he knew he wanted nothing more at this moment than to tell her so the second she opened the door and then kiss her with all the tenderness and affection he had.

But he knew he couldn't.

It certainly wasn't because he didn't want to. Had the circumstances been different he probably would've confessed his feelings to her in a heartbeat. But as much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, there were more important things right now than his own personal feelings. Now that they were so close to Saturos and Menardi, what mattered at the moment was the group as a whole. And even though part of him wanted to... he couldn't risk doing anything that might tear the group apart. He couldn't reveal his feelings to her, not now... because that would mean risking the aid and companionship the Mercury Adept gave him that he knew he would need in the days to come.

But the problem was that even though he knew he couldn't tell her, he simply couldn't get Mia out of his head. He spent so much time near the girl, it was impossible to go even a minute without his gaze turning to her, thoughts of her suddenly blocking out everything else. And even when he was away from her for a brief moment, like now, he couldn't so much as close his eyes without images of her flooding his mind. It was almost frightening, how powerful his feelings for Mia were. He knew he needed to stop thinking about her, knew he needed to focus on the days ahead, but the more he tried to do that, the more he found that he just couldn't.

The worst part was that he wanted to talk to someone about his feelings, wanted to get advice from one of his friends as to what he should do, but Mia had been the one he had always turned to in the past when he had had similar troubles, and he couldn't talk to her about this for obvious reasons. So that left only Garet and Ivan, who Isaac had to admit weren't exactly the best choices for this sort of thing. He could already see the smug, mischievous expressions on their faces as he admitted to them what was bothering him. Could he really ask either of them about this?

Nevertheless, he figured, he didn't really have much of a choice—he had to get these thoughts, these distractions out of his head somehow. It might be a bit embarrassing for him, he thought as he turned his gaze to the door beside him, behind which the two boys were staying, but better to deal with some brief teasing now than to end up dead tomorrow because he couldn't stop thinking about Mia.

He felt a small nervousness in his gut as he stood fully and made his way towards Ivan and Garet's room, but he did his best to push it away—this was something he needed to do. Hoping that the two boys were still awake, he took a deep breath, then raised his hand and knocked lightly upon the wooden door.

There was a rustle from inside the room, then a few moments later the door opened and Ivan appeared in his sleeping clothes. Thankfully, however, he still seemed wide awake. "Oh, hey Isaac," he said with a little smile as he recognized the person standing before him. "What's up?"

Isaac shrugged—the last thing he wanted to do right now was make a big deal out of what was bothering him. "Nothing much," he replied, his tone neutral. It was then, however, that he noticed that someone seemed to be missing. "Hey," he added, looking over Ivan's head into the room behind him. "Where's Garet?"

"He said he was going downstairs, I think," Ivan answered simply. "Said it was too early for him to go to sleep."

"Downstairs? To the tavern?" Isaac asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why would he...?"

The Jupiter Adept shrugged, a "don't-look-at-me" expression on his face. "I dunno," he responded. "I doubt he's stupid enough to get himself drunk or anything like that, but..."

Isaac frowned, though he was thankful at least for the momentary opportunity to get his mind off Mia. "Do you think I should go check on him?" he asked.

"Might as well, I suppose," Ivan replied with a disinterested shrug. "Since you haven't gotten changed into your nightclothes yet."

"All right, I guess I will," Isaac remarked, giving the younger boy a small smile. "Thanks for letting me know, Ivan."

Ivan grinned. "No problem. See you tomorrow morning."

Isaac nodded back, then as the Jupiter Adept closed the door, he made his way down the hall to the staircase. The rowdy voices increased in volume as he drew near, the voices of the burly workers who were constructing the Babi Lighthouse kicking back and celebrating the end of a long workday—no doubt with copious amounts of ale. Isaac had to wonder what Garet was doing down there, though he hoped that his friend wouldn't be taking any cues from the Laliverans.

The smell of alcohol pervaded his senses as he made his way into the tavern, which as he had expected was rather crowded. The expansive, lantern-lit room was made up of a small bar and two long sets of neatly arranged wooden tables, at most of which now sat several muscular, red-faced men. The workers, unsurprisingly, all had glasses of one drink or another in their hands, and were downing them quite quickly as they talked and laughed drunkenly with their friends. Here and there he also spotted a couple of plainly dressed young women, bringing and removing glasses as they moved to and fro through the crowds.

Watching the scene before him, Isaac had to admit at that moment that he could've used a drink himself to help him relax. Nevertheless, he needed to be in top shape for the days ahead, and a drink wasn't what he was here for, anyway. Scanning the crowd, it didn't take him long to find a familiar shade of red peeking over the other heads. Smiling to himself at the thought that Garet had never been able to hide well, Isaac made his way to where his friend was sitting, and found him leaning back in his chair at one of the few empty tables... with a glass of ale in his hands.

"_Garet!_" The shout had left his mouth before he even knew what was happening, though thankfully the rowdy voices around him meant that he could raise his own voice without causing a scene. "What the _hell_ are you drinking?"

Garet looked up in surprise as he heard his friend's voice, but his expression melted into a smile as he realized who it was. "Oh, Isaac, it's just you," he said in a surprisingly coherent tone, his smile widening. "Sheesh, you make it sound like I'm drinking poison or something."

"Well you might as well be!" Isaac fired back, anger flooding his body. What the hell was Garet thinking? "Have you forgotten where we're going tomorrow? You're not exactly going to be in the best fighting shape if you wake up tomorrow with a hangover!"

But Garet just sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm glad to see you have so much faith in my intelligence," he responded sarcastically. "I'm not _that_ stupid, Isaac. This is the only glass I'm having; you don't have to get so worked up," he added with a small grin.

"Excuse me for being responsible," Isaac remarked with a frown, mere annoyance taking the place of anger as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Believe it or not, when I heard you were down here, the first thought I had was _not_ 'oh, I'm sure he'll only be having one glass.'"

Garet put his hands to his heart, his expression one of mock delight. "So you came down here to make sure I was okay? That's so nice of you!" He chuckled. "Don't worry your head off, Isaac. As hard as it may be for you to believe, I _can_ actually take care of myself. Now sit down, you look like _you_ could use a drink."

"Thanks, but I'll pass on that offer," Isaac replied as he slid into a chair opposite his friend. "I've got enough on my mind tonight without having to worry about whether or not I'm having too much to drink."

"Uh-huh," Garet replied noncommittally, taking a sip of his drink. He paused for a moment, as though expecting Isaac to say something, then added, "Well?"

Isaac blinked, confused. "Well what?"

"Well what's on your mind?" Garet clarified, chuckling almost out of disbelief. "Sheesh, Isaac, if you're not here to have a drink, I doubt you just sat down because you wanted to watch me."

Isaac gave him a look. "You told me to sit down, so I did," he explained simply. "You want me to—"

"It's Mia, isn't it?" Garet suddenly interrupted, taking another sip.

The sudden mention of the Mercury Adept stopped Isaac in his tracks. "What?" he asked, staring at the Mars Adept confusedly. "What are you talking—"

"That's who's on your mind," Garet interrupted again, grinning smugly as he leaned back in his chair. "It's Mia. I'm right, aren't I?"

Isaac stared at his friend for a long moment. He was right, of course, but if this was how Garet was going to act, did he really want to talk to him about the azure-haired girl? For a moment he considered simply denying the accusation like he usually did, but he quickly realized there was no point in doing so. The Mars Adept would probably see right through his words, anyway, and besides, he _had_ wanted to talk to him about her...

He sighed, his eyes falling to the floor. For some reason, even though he knew it was ridiculous, he had the strangest feeling that the workers around him might listen in on his conversation if he talked at a normal volume. Unfortunately, however, the rowdy voices echoing off the walls made it impossible for him to lower his own voice if he wanted Garet to hear what he was saying. "Well..." he began, as softly as he could while still remaining audible, "for once, you're right."

"And for once, you actually admit it," Garet remarked, chuckling. "Man, Isaac, why haven't you just told her already?"

Isaac looked up at that, frowning as a slight blush colored his cheeks. Why did Garet always have to be so jovial whenever he talked about him and Mia? Couldn't he see that this was a serious matter for him? "Garet..." he sighed, his crystal-blue eyes pleading with his friend. "Please... don't act like this is some sort of joke. I-I can't... I can't just walk up to her and tell her how I feel. I-it doesn't work that way."

"Why not?" Garet asked without missing a beat, staring at him curiously. His grin had faded slightly, but it was still very much there.

The sudden question surprised Isaac. "Why not?" he parroted, unable to think of anything else to say at the moment.

"Yeah," Garet replied, his expression now remarkably serious. "What exactly is stopping you from going upstairs _right now_—" he motioned to the stairs, "—and telling Mia how you feel about her?"

Isaac blinked, staring at his friend incredulously. What was Garet saying? That would be insane! "Garet, that's..." he began weakly. "Y-you can't just _do_ that. I can't just go up to Mia and say, 'I love you,' I—"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second—'love?'" Garet interrupted, sitting straight up in his chair as his mischievous grin suddenly returned in full force. "You _love_ Mia? When the hell did this happen?"

Isaac could have sworn his face was on fire. His eyes falling to the floor, he managed to stammer out, "W-well, I-I..." before he fell silent, too embarrassed to continue. Again, his mind screamed at him to deny it, but again, what would that accomplish? It was probably already obvious enough from his reaction that he did love Mia, and any attempt at telling Garet the opposite would probably just make him look like more of a fool than he already did. So slowly, very slowly, he looked up. "Yeah..." he finally said, very quietly. "I... I-I love her."

"What's that?" Garet asked, leaning over the table, his grin growing wider. "I couldn't hear you."

"I love Mia," Isaac said, louder, more confidently this time, looking directly into his friend's ruby eyes as he did so. He knew his face was still burning red, but nevertheless he could feel the corners of his lips curl upwards into a tiny smile, feeling as though a great weight had suddenly been lifted off him. "There, I said it. You happy now?" he asked, almost playfully.

Garet laughed. "You bet I am," he replied cheerfully, leaning back in his chair. He paused for a moment, again as though waiting for Isaac to say or do something, but when he didn't get the response he desired he raised his hands in an inquisitive gesture. "Well, what're you waiting for, loverboy?" he asked, grinning widely. He motioned towards the stairs again. "Get up there and tell _her_ that."

But at those words Isaac's smile vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Garet, I..." He sighed, putting a hand to his face as he leaned forward onto the table. "I can't do that," he explained simply.

Garet just raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "You're kidding, right?" Isaac just stared sadly at him, which prompted the Mars Adept to also lean forward and continue, "Isaac... you just said you loved her. Why would you not want to tell her?

"I-it's... not that I don't want to," Isaac replied, not moving from his position. "I-it's just..." He sighed. "I don't know..."

"I think I see what's going on here," Garet remarked, sitting up straight. "Let me guess: you're afraid she doesn't love you back?"

"No," Isaac answered, which seemed to surprise Garet quite a bit. "W-well, I... I mean..." he continued, sitting up again, "... I _think_ she might feel the same way, but that's... that's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Garet asked, now genuinely curious.

"Well... look," Isaac began, staring at the table. "I... I-I do love Mia. I really do." He felt his cheeks heating up as he said those words, but he did his best to ignore it. "But... what's important now isn't me, or my feelings, or anything like that." He looked up to find Garet staring at him silently, listening intently. "What's important now is the four of us altogether, and making sure that we can fight together well enough to beat Saturos and Menardi. And that's the thing," he continued, staring at Garet sadly. "The reason we fight so well together now is because we're all friends, and... and because we'd do anything to help each other. But... imagine what would happen if I told Mia how I felt about her and she said no. Think of what that would do to the group!" He sighed. "I-I mean... I _want_ to tell her, but now that we're so close to Saturos and Menardi... I-I can't risk something like that happening. I can't risk telling her... not now."

Isaac stared at his friend silently, his eyes begging him to understand. Garet just stared right back at him for several moments, looking thoughtful. Finally, the Mars Adept spoke. "Isaac?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Isaac replied.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Isaac blinked, staring at his friend incredulously as shock and anger suddenly flooded his body. "W-what the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"It means just what I said," Garet explained simply. Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but the Mars Adept held up a hand to silence him and continued. "Now look, Isaac, you might have a point if the circumstances were different, but you're missing something very important here." He paused for a moment, suddenly grinning, and then said his next three words very slowly and deliberately, as though Isaac might not understand otherwise: "_Mia loves you._"

Isaac frowned. He wanted to believe Garet, he really did, but... "You don't know that," he countered.

"O-ho, yes I do," Garet fired right back, still grinning. "And I can't understand why you don't. It's obvious!"

"That's not the same!" Isaac shouted, suddenly thankful for the loud voices around him. "Look, Garet, I've been watching her too, and I think she might love me back, but there's a _big_ difference between thinking she loves me and knowing for sure!"

Garet fixed Isaac with what could only be called a "what are you, a moron?" look. "Isaac, we're talking about a girl who got so sad when she thought you didn't think she was beautiful that she barely spoke to any of us for a week," he said calmly. "And Mia is definitely not a vain girl. What the hell do you think that says?"

"I don't know!" Isaac protested, putting his hands to his head in frustration. "Look, it's a good sign, I know... but it still doesn't prove anything!"

Garet rolled his eyes, sighing in exasperation. "Fine. You know what? I wasn't going to tell you about this, but you want to know what happened a few nights ago?"

Isaac just stared at him, unsure of where his friend was going with this. "Okay, I'll bite," he answered after a moment. "What happened?"

Garet leaned back in his chair, smirking smugly as though he already knew what Isaac's reaction to his story would be. "So it seems," he began, "when Ivan was on watch a few nights ago, Mia came out to talk with him. I don't know what they talked about; Ivan didn't tell me. But when she went back to your tent, do you know what Ivan saw her do?"

Isaac cocked his head, only semi-interested. "What?" he asked.

Garet grinned so widely Isaac could see his teeth. "She kissed you," Garet replied, causing the Venus Adept's eyes to widen in shock. "On the cheek, while you were asleep."

"W-... what?" Isaac choked out, utterly dumbfounded, his expression blank. No... that story was simply too ridiculous to be possible. "Y-... you're lying, you're just making that up..."

Garet laughed out loud, throwing an incredulous look at his friend. "Do you not believe me?" he asked. "You want me to go get Ivan? I'll go get Ivan." He made a move to get up from his chair, but Isaac held out a hand, motioning for him to stay where he was.

"No... it's okay," Isaac said, his eyes still wide with surprise as he stared into space, his expression still blank. "Th-that just..." Slowly, his hand went up to his cheek, as though trying to feel if Mia's lips had touched his skin there. "Th-that... doesn't seem like something... she would do..." he protested weakly.

"Well I'll agree with you on that," Garet remarked, chuckling. "Believe me, I was pretty damn surprised when Ivan told me about it too. But he definitely wasn't lying, Isaac. He wouldn't make up something like this."

Isaac stared at his friend, unsure of what to do or say. What _could_ he say, anyway? The only thought that ran through his mind at that moment was an image of the story Garet had just told him; all his other thoughts seemed vague and inconsequential in comparison. Had that really happened? Had Mia really... kissed him?

Slowly, only semi-aware of what he was doing, he rose from his chair. He thought he heard Garet ask where he was going, thought he heard himself say that he had to go to bed, but it was impossible to be certain—his mind was in a complete fog. All he could see was Mia, her hair enshrouding her face as she leaned down and—

And suddenly, before he even knew what was happening, he was standing in front of his room, was knocking on the door. "Come in," Mia's voice came from inside, finally bringing him back to his senses.

He opened the door to find the Mercury Adept in her pale blue nightgown, sitting on a stool in front of a mirror at the side of the room and running a brush through her long azure hair. She turned to him as she entered, a warm smile highlighting her features. "Oh, there you are!" she said brightly, her crystal-blue eyes sparkling. "I was wondering where you went."

Isaac couldn't speak. He knew he should say something, anything, but one look at Mia and all he could see was the image of her kissing him. What was he supposed to do?

"Isaac?" Mia's voice brought him back to his senses again, a tinge of concern in her voice. She was staring at him curiously, her head cocked slightly. "Are you all right?"

He shook his head as though to clear it. "Yeah," he answered simply, managing a small smile. "Sorry... I'm a bit out of it."

"Mm-hmm," Mia answered with a small smile to match his, not seeming quite convinced but accepting his answer nonetheless. Rising from her stool, she made her way towards the door so that he could change into his nightclothes. "Well, maybe you ought to get some rest then, hmm?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eye, quite unexpectedly poking him lightly in the arm as she passed. "I'll let you get changed." And with that, she left the room and closed the door.

Isaac changed into his sleeping clothes in silence, thoughts and a certain image racing through his head. He still wasn't sure whether or not to believe that Mia had really kissed him, that she really felt as strongly for him as he did for her. Again, he found his hand drifting up to his cheek, as though trying to once again feel her lips upon his skin. Had Garet really told him the truth...?

He let Mia back in and immediately got into his bed, his thoughts still too jumbled to even think of talking to the Mercury Adept about anything. She sat on the other bed, her hand on the lamp between the two, smiling at him. "Good night," she said softly.

"Good night," he replied, and she turned out the lamp, leaving him in the darkness with his thoughts. But instead of dwelling on them, he simply rolled over, trying his best to get to sleep. His thoughts, he knew, would make much more sense in the morning.

* * *

_Grandia II_'s Skye put it beautifully when he told the lovesick main hero, "Women are impossible to understand, so act before your brain starts getting in the way." One of the weird things about liking someone whom you're not sure likes you back is that you start to overanalyze every little thing they do, trying to find some words or an action that proves whether the person likes you or not. Unfortunately, though, at least in my experience, this is usually a waste of time and just ends up making you confused... and also sometimes convinces you that you can't tell that person how you feel for some ridiculous reason or another. Before anyone complains, I know that Isaac's reason for not wanting to tell Mia he loves her was rather silly. That's why I had Garet completely shut him down—being in love sometimes makes you lose your common sense. :P 

Anyway, one of the things I really wanted to do in this chapter—and that I hope I did well—was to cut down on the lengthy thought descriptions of the characters, and to instead have the details of their thoughts and feelings come out in the conversation instead. A lot of readers have complained about my internal monologues being too long, so let me know, guys—is this chapter better? Or should I stick with what I was doing before?

I've gotta say, though... this chapter was a blast to write, especially the conversation between Isaac and Garet. I hope I nailed everyone's personalities well, but that's up to you readers to decide. I feel like I might have rushed this chapter a little more than I would have liked because of my midterm, so make sure to let me know if you see any problems!

As for the next chapter... well, to make up for my delay in posting this chapter (and also to make sure I don't end up in the same situation again—my next midterm is March 14th), I'm making my deadline a little earlier this time around. Don't make too many assumptions about the next chapter based on the character list, though. Remember that we have three more chapters to go, so while the next chapter will be focusing on Mia and Isaac, it might not be in the way you're expecting...

_**next chapter: **Mia and Isaac  
**expect next chapter by: **March 12_


	14. Mia and Isaac: Suppressed Emotion

Well... I really have to apologize for this. You know, it's really bad of me to be setting all these deadlines and them missing them by a day or two. Please don't hate me... I kind of just ran out of time last night, and the last thing I wanted to do was rush this chapter out when I wasn't happy with it yet.

Anyway, though... how many of you guys noticed the character list at the end of last chapter and immediately thought this one would involve a big, fluffy romantic moment between Mia and Isaac? Well, I hate to say it, but those of you that thought that are... well, I'm not going to say _wrong_, but you're certainly not _right_, either. You'll just have to read on and see what I mean by that... ;)

Review responses for once _not_ out on time, but that will be rectified by tomorrow afternoon (remember how I said my next econ midterm was the 14th? That's tomorrow). Anonymous reviewer thanks for this chapter go out to _xD_ and _Maver1ck22_. Now, here we go with chapter 14!

_**chapter fourteen**  
Mia and Isaac  
**suppressed emotion**_

The sky seemed to flash red as the great two-headed dragon's roars filled the air, the sound so loud that Mia felt she might go deaf if she was forced to listen to it any longer. The golden power of the Venus beacon flowed out from the hole in the aerie behind the creature, surely augmenting Isaac and Garet's powers but making it very difficult for her to cast her healing spells. Ivan had already collapsed to the floor of the aerie beside her, the earth-aligned energies in the air having long ago proved too much for the blond boy's wind-aligned mind and body.

And after such a long, drawn-out battle, Mia felt that she too was reaching her limit. But whereas Saturos and Menardi had been only human, and only been able to take so much punishment, the great white dragon that had been formed by the two of them combining their powers seemed to be able to take everything that Mia and her friends threw at it and more. Several yards in front of her, Isaac and Garet leapt to and fro, dodging the monster's massive swipes while retaliating with attacks of their own, but nothing they did seemed to make the monster even flinch. Even psynergy seemed ineffective against the dragon, the only spells appearing to have any effect her own water-aligned ones—spells she had little opportunity to cast since Isaac and Garet needed her healing from afar so often. After such a long journey, she was beginning to wonder if she and her friends had finally met their match.

There was no question in her mind that if this battle of attrition continued, they would lose. The great dragon's power, only amplified by the Venus beacon, was simply too great for there to be any other outcome. What Mia and her friends needed now, then, was a way to strike a final, decisive blow, one from which the dragon could not hope to recover. And she knew she had one, but she had been hoping throughout the battle that she would not have to use it and put herself at risk. Now, however, as the battle continued to drag on, it seemed to Mia that there was no other choice. What she was about to do could cost her, Isaac, Garet and Ivan their lives... but it could also very well win them the battle immediately.

And so, raising her hands, Mia closed her eyes and called upon her djinn.

She could feel herself weaken as each of her seven djinn disengaged themselves from her body, each of them turning into a blue ball of psynergetic light that swirled around her. The power of the earth filled the air, threatening to consume her senses as more and more of her own power left her. But she stood strong, knowing that if she fell now she would die. Isaac needed her... all of her friends needed her, needed this attack. She would not fail.

At last all of her seven djinn left her body, swirling around her, awaiting her command. She focused her power, sending a message to all of them at once. Instantly, every one of her seven djinn knew what they had to do. They formed a circle above her raised hands, spinning faster and faster as Mia raised her head and shouted to the heavens, calling upon the greatest of Mercury's agents.

"_Come!_" she cried, the voices of her djinn shouting with her, drowning out even the dragon's roars. "_Boreas!_"

At once a great surge of power flowed up from her chest and coursed through her raised arms, where it was amplified by her djinn to create a massive beam of azure light that shot into the sky. The beam remained for one second, then two. Then there was a flash, and the beam disappeared, leaving behind a great figure in the skies high above her. Boreas, the god of the north wind.

But whatever Boreas did to the great dragon, Mia would never know, for as the azure beam vanished, so did her strength. She collapsed to the floor of the aerie in a heap, no longer possessing the strength to even hold herself up, and the darkness quickly took her.

-----

When she awoke, it was to the sensation that there was someone standing over her. She blinked a few times, but was only able to make out a silhouette, the light of the sun behind the figure's head making it impossible for her to discern any details. But then she felt the power of the earth flowing not around her but through her, and she knew immediately who it was. The power coursed through her body, revitalizing her, and slowly she sat up to find Isaac's face before hers.

His expression had clearly been one of concern, of worry, but as she sat up he quickly realized she was okay and smiled at her, relieved. It was only for a moment, however, as once he realized she was all right he turned his eyes towards the Venus beacon, obviously to make sure the battle was still going in their favor. Mia followed his gaze, expecting to see the great dragon still standing before her... but instead all she found was Saturos and Menardi, back to their human forms, leaning on their knees in front of the beacon and panting heavily. A pool of blood had formed around the two members of the Fire Clan from various cuts and wounds on their bodies, and it seemed to Mia at that moment that anything stronger than a stiff breeze would knock the two over.

"We did it, Mia," Isaac said softly from beside her, causing her gaze to shift back to him. He was smiling at her, fondly. "Thanks to you... we won."

She couldn't help but smile back as she realized what their victory meant. They had defeated Saturos and Menardi... their quest was complete. They had succeeded in their mission. Two lighthouses had been lit, but no longer would the world be threatened by the release of Alchemy. After three months of hardship, it was finally over.

Isaac held out a hand, silently offering to help her up. She took it and stood up, looking to her side to find that Ivan was shakily doing the same with Garet's help. After a moment to determine that all of them were okay, the four Adepts slowly made their way towards Saturos and Menardi, intent on getting the Jupiter Star from them and ending their threat for good.

The two Fire Clan members looked up as they approached. But instead of the defiant expressions they had worn when they had been struck down for the first time, the looks on their faces now where despairing, helpless. Saturos raised himself slightly, staring at the four Adepts in shock. "H-how... how did this happen?" he asked, speaking to nobody in particular. Menardi followed his lead, raising herself slightly as well, looking towards the sky as though the reason for their defeat might be hidden in the heavens.

And then, before any of the four Adepts could speak, Saturos and Menardi fell backwards, into the lighthouse. There was no sound from either of them, no scream. Just a rustle of clothing, and they were gone.

Mia let out a deep breath then, turning to face her friends. It was over. Ivan was smiling weakly, still looking rather shaky from his collapse earlier. Garet was grinning like a maniac, looking ready to start jumping and whooping for joy. And Isaac... Isaac was once again smiling at her, fondly. She was about to smile back, but a voice disrupted her thoughts, the voice of Isaac and Garet's friend.

"So you've beaten them," Felix's voice came from the base of the aerie's stairs, the tone of his voice not conveying any particular emotion. The four Adepts turned to him, and found him staring up at them from the bottom of the staircase, the blonde girl named Sheba only a few feet behind him. As she stared at him, Mia couldn't help but feel a bit confused. She had expected the brown-haired boy to be grateful for ridding him of his oppressors... so why did he look so unhappy...?

It was Isaac who spoke first, stepping forward, his expression a mixture of joy and relief. "Oh, Felix, thank the gods you're all right," he remarked exhaustedly, setting his foot on the top stair. "Now we can finally—"

The sound of a sword being drawn stopped Isaac in his tracks. In a flash Mia and her friends were by his side, ready to protect their leader from any threat. Felix had not moved from his position, but his blade was out now, pointed towards his friend. "Don't come any closer," he threatened, his tone still surprisingly neutral. "I don't care if you beat Saturos and Menardi; I'll fight you if I have to."

Mia looked towards Isaac and could immediately tell from the look on his face that he had expected Felix's reaction as little as she had. "W-what are you doing?" he demanded, sounding shocked, hurt. "They're gone. You don't have to follow their orders anymore!"

"I'm not following orders," Felix retorted, his expression hardening even as the tone of his voice remained the same. "The lighthouses must be lit, and now that you've defeated Saturos and Menardi... the responsibility falls on me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Garet demanded angrily, glaring at the brown-haired boy. "Why the hell would you—"

But the conversation never progressed any further than that, because at that moment there was suddenly a hideous, deafening _crack_, and the next thing Mia knew, she was lying on the floor. When she managed to get her bearings again and stand up, she was greeted with an astonishing sight. The lighthouse had split into two—no, wait, she looked behind her, and there were _four_ pieces centered around the hole from which the light of the Venus beacon continued to rise, each of them separated from each other by at least twenty feet. She looked around at her friends, and as they rose she could see they were just as confused by this sudden development as she was. But before she could wonder what was going on, she caught sight of Isaac's worried face, looking in the direction where Felix had been only moments before.

She followed his gaze and found that Felix had been knocked onto a different piece of the lighthouse by the sudden split... and that he was leaning over the very edge of the aerie, reaching for something. _Sheba_. Mia's heart tightened as she suddenly realized that the blonde girl was nowhere to be found. Was she hanging on the edge...?

"_Sheba!_" Felix cried, his normal emotionless mask gone in an instant. He reached over the edge, stretching out his arm as far as he could. "Take my hand! Please!"

"I... I can't..." Sheba's voice came from over the aerie's edge. "I'm... sorry, Felix..."

"No! Sheba, don't you _dare_ let go!" Felix protested desperately, hanging so far over the edge that Mia was afraid he might fall himself. "Please! You can't..."

But even though she couldn't see her, Mia could tell that Sheba couldn't reach. "Felix..." the blonde girl said, so softly that Mia almost didn't hear it. "Goodbye..."

And slowly, very slowly, Felix stood up, staring down over the edge of the aerie in horror—Sheba was gone. He stayed that way for a long time, trembling. Finally, however, he raised his head, screaming to the heavens.

"**_NO!_**" he shouted, in the most despairing voice that Mia had ever heard. "_Sheba! I won't let you die!_"

And he leapt...

And for a long time, the only sounds Mia could hear were the sounds of the wind blowing over the aerie and the pulsing of the Venus energies behind her.

No one moved. No one spoke. Felix's rash act of heroism had robbed them all of their senses, leaving them unable to do anything but stare blankly at the spot from which he had jumped, their eyes wide with shock and horror. Mia blinked, unsure of whether or not she should believe her eyes. No... it could not have happened, Felix couldn't have just...

It felt like several minutes had passed before Garet finally broke the silence, dropping to his knees helplessly with a heavy, ragged breath. "Felix, you goddamned _idiot!_" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, as though he felt his words might reach the brown-haired boy if he shouted loud enough. "_What the hell were you **thinking**?_" And with that, his eyes fell to the floor of the aerie, and he began stabbing into the stone with his sword, over and over again. "You—idiot..." he muttered as he did so, under his breath. "You stupid—idiot..." And he probably would have continued striking the ground until his sword was destroyed had Ivan not run over and intervened, holding the Mars Adept's arm back. At that Garet dropped his blade and covered his face with a hand, saying nothing, his breathing heavy and labored.

"We can still find Jenna," Ivan tried to reassure him, softly, though he didn't sound very certain. But Garet didn't even seem to notice that the Jupiter Adept was there.

Meanwhile, Mia hadn't heard Isaac make a sound beside her. But she hadn't turned to look at him yet, not because she wasn't worried about him, but because she was almost afraid of what she might see. She had always known that Isaac still considered Felix as a friend even following the events in Sol Sanctum, and she knew that he had always believed Felix would come back to Vale with them once Saturos and Menardi had been defeated. But now...

Slowly, hesitantly, she turned her head. Unlike Garet, Isaac hadn't moved. He was still staring at the spot where Felix had been standing only a minute before, his eyes wide and disbelieving, his breathing slow and shaky, and the expression on his face the most pained thing that Mia had ever seen.

She didn't think she would ever forget the look on his face...

-----

Night had long since fallen by the time Mia and her friends returned to the town of Lalivero, battered and exhausted. After descending the lighthouse, Ivan had suggested that the group try to use the rest of the day to search for Jenna, trying to make the best of a bad situation. But much to Mia's dismay, the search had proven fruitless—they had found neither hide nor hair of Jenna, Kraden, or Alex. It was as though the three of them had simply vanished, never to be seen again... and it was a discovery that hadn't had the best of effects on either Isaac or Garet's mood.

She was worried about Isaac—the poor boy hadn't said a word since they had left the Venus Lighthouse. She was a healer, one who had seen death before, and she had seen families deal with the loss of their loved ones in many different ways. But never before had she seen anyone react to another's death in the way Isaac was now. Whereas Garet had spent the entire day snapping violently at anyone and anything that annoyed him even in the slightest, Isaac seemed to have lost his ability to display emotions altogether. Only in his eyes could she see that he was feeling anything at all, a frightening mixture of sorrow, despair, and guilt.

But what could she have said to relieve his pain? She couldn't very well have asked what was wrong, because she knew the answer to that question and any attempt at appearing otherwise would have made her look like an enormous fool. And she couldn't have tried to tell him that everything was going to be all right, because she knew from personal experience that that was the last thing anyone who had recently lost someone wanted to hear. So what, then, could she have said? What could she have done?

They had immediately gone to see Iodem and Faran upon their return to Lalivero, but the two men had taken a single look at the state of their group and had told them that it would be better for them to speak tomorrow. Faran had made an arrangement with the innkeeper, allowing the four of them to stay the night free of charge.

So now Mia and Isaac sat in the lantern-lit inn room, Isaac on one bed, Mia on the other. It was dark outside, but Mia didn't want to go to sleep just yet, and it didn't seem that Isaac wanted to either. Neither of them was looking at the other. Isaac had been like this all day, his gaze unfocused, blank. Mia didn't want to look at Isaac, didn't want to see him in such a state. But as she sat there on her bed, she could feel the worry creeping into her veins once again.

She wanted more than anything in the world at that moment to help Isaac. She wanted to rip off his emotionless mask, to get him to let out all the pain and grief she knew he was hiding. But unless he actually spoke to her, that would never happen. So slowly, she rose from her bed, making her way over to Isaac. He didn't even look up as she approached. It was only when she was standing over him and spoke that he gave any indication that he knew she was there.

"Isaac?" she asked, very softly, uncertainly.

He looked up at her at that, slowly, and she once again was forced to see the pain in his eyes, the guilt. He stared at her for a moment, then his eyes widened in realization and he looked away. "O-oh... I'm sorry," he said softly, shakily, sounding almost as though he had done something wrong. He stood up. "I-I'll, er... I'll let you get changed..."

"Isaac, wait," she called as he slowly, almost lethargically started making his way to the door. He stopped then, and turned around. She stepped forward, biting her lip, unsure whether or not to keep speaking but knowing that her words had to be said. "I-is there... is there anything I can do for you?" she asked him, frowning worriedly.

Isaac looked away at those words, taking in a deep breath. "Mia..." he began, softly. He never once looked at her, almost as though he was trying to avoid her gaze. "I... I appreciate your concern, but..." He sighed. "This is something I have to deal with myself..."

Mia almost recoiled in shock. What had happened to the Isaac she knew so well, the Isaac that was always willing to let his troubles out to her? "Isaac, that's not true," she insisted, shaking her head, and he looked up at her again. "Please," she added, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just talk to me..."

She wished there was something more she could say than that, but there simply wasn't. She could only stare at Isaac helplessly, silently begging him to stop hiding his emotions, to let everything out to her. He stared back at her for a long while, indecision floating in his eyes. Finally, however, he took a deep breath, his gaze falling to the floor, and he spoke.

"I-it's just... it's been going through my head all day," he confessed. "I-I keep seeing him, and I keep—" He suddenly stopped. For a moment he was silent, his gaze fixed on his feet, but then he looked up, a helpless look in his eyes as he started breathing heavily. "I keep... asking myself if maybe... I-I could've stopped him somehow. I-I keep wondering if there was something I could've—"

"Isaac... please, don't," Mia softly interrupted him, her eyebrows arching in sadness and concern as she realized precisely why Isaac felt he had to deal with Felix's death himself. "Don't blame yourself for this..."

"But I could've," Isaac insisted, his tone almost angry now, the helpless look in his eyes intensifying. "I could've stopped him; I could've used my psynergy to—"

"You're making it sound like it was some sort of accident," Mia countered before he got going, her eyes still fixed on his. "But it... it wasn't, Isaac, and... you can't blame yourself for it." For a few moments her gaze fell to the floor, as she tried her best to determine whether or not what she was about to say was the right thing to tell him. Finally, though, she looked up. "What Felix did..." she began softly, "wasn't something we could've prevented somehow. It... it was something he would've done no matter what. None of us could've stopped him."

Slowly, Mia could see the self-loathing in Isaac's eyes melting away as his breathing slowed somewhat. "... Is that really what you think?" he asked her after a moment, very quietly.

She nodded, sadly, and her gaze fell to the floor once again. "There was nothing forcing Felix to light the beacons after we defeated Saturos and Menardi..." she explained, "but he told us he wanted to anyway. And there was nothing..." She trailed off for a moment, taking a deep breath, before looking up again and forcing herself to look directly into his eyes. "There was nothing forcing him to jump off the lighthouse. But... he wanted to do that, too." She paused for a moment, shaking her head. "What... what he did... it wasn't because of anything we did, or because of anything we failed to do. It was... his decision to jump after Sheba. Not anyone else's."

For a long while, Isaac was silent, staring at her. They couldn't have been more than a foot apart, and at such a short distance she could clearly see the emotion swirling in his crystal-blue eyes, a sadness so deep she almost wanted to cry at the very sight of it. Finally, however, he let out a deep breath, turning to stare almost wistfully out the darkened window. He was silent for another moment, but then he spoke, so softly that she almost didn't hear him. "... Why do you think he did it?" he asked.

Her gaze dropped a little. "... I don't know," she responded softly after a moment, truthfully. She frowned uncertainly as a single idea popped into her head, the only plausible explanation she could think of. "... Maybe he loves her."

He turned to her at that, and she looked up. She had been careful to use the present tense, careful to sustain the hope that maybe, just maybe, Felix might still be alive, but she could see from the look in his eyes that while he appreciated her gesture, he wasn't going to try and deny what they both knew was the truth. He stared at her for a moment longer, then sighed, shaking his head. When he looked at her again, she suddenly became aware of how heavily he was breathing, of how hard he was trying to keep his emotions in check.

"I really thought it was... over, you know?" he said quietly, frowning helplessly. "I really thought that he would..." Then he stopped, letting out a breath, his lips curling at the same time into what she could only call a mockery of a smile. "I'm sorry," he whispered after a moment, letting out a brief, almost self-deprecating chuckle. He was smiling at her, but she could see from his eyes that what he was feeling at that moment was about as far away from happiness as one could get. "I'm... being stupid, aren't I?"

It was a terrible thing to see, that false smile. She knew what he was thinking, what he had been thinking the entire day—that he had to remain in control, that he had to refrain from showing any weakness in front of her and her friends because he was the leader, because he had to be the strong one. But she didn't want to see him do that, not in a situation like this. She wanted him to let everything out to her, not because she wanted him to trust her, not because she wanted to see him in pain, but because she knew that at this moment he might very well lose his mind if he didn't.

"No," she finally whispered, shaking her head. "I... I don't think you're being stupid at all."

And then, for several moments, there was silence. Isaac stared at her for a long while, trembling, but still with that false smile on his face. She could see the pain in his eyes, could see the effort with which he was trying so hard to keep himself in control. But at that moment his smile began to falter, his mask began to crack. And she knew at that moment exactly what was about to happen, and exactly what she had to do.

And without thinking, she stepped forward and put her arms around him.

For a brief moment, Isaac went as stiff as a board. But then she felt him relax, felt him put his arms around her waist, holding her tight, almost desperately.

And then, for the first time Mia had ever seen him, Isaac cried.

He barely made a sound. Anyone in the hallway probably wouldn't have had any idea what was happening inside their room. But as she held him close she could hear his breathing sharp and ragged against her ear, could feel his sobs rack through her body as though they were her own. She simply held him tighter, silently assuring him that it was all right to let everything out. She didn't speak; there was nothing to be said. No words could make him feel better, not now.

She wished there was something she could do for him. She had always been the one he turned to when he needed help, had always been the one he spoke to when he was afraid, and she had always been able to calm him down, had always been able to soothe his troubles. But now, as she held him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of despair, of inadequacy. What could she possibly do to help him now? One of his lifelong friends had just slipped out of his grasp, and another had been lost forever. Would he ever be able to recover from a blow like this...?

And as she continued to hold him, continued to listen to his sobs, she soon found that she was crying as well—not for Felix, not for herself, but for _Isaac_. He was such an amazing person, Isaac—so selfless and considerate, so strong and yet so modest, and so committed to his quest even though the responsibility had been thrown upon him without his consent. So why, she wondered hopelessly, had something like this have to happen to him? What could he _possibly_ have done that merited him losing so much...?

They were like that for some time, both crying silently, holding each other. It could have been a few minutes before they broke apart, it could have been several hours—it was impossible to tell. But eventually she could feel Isaac's arms loosen their hold on her waist, could feel the warmth of his body leave her as he pulled away, wiping at his eyes. Her own tears still had not ceased, and she could only watch with blurred vision as he stared at the floor for a long while, breathing deeply, gathering his strength. Finally he looked up, very slowly. For a moment she could see a look of thanks for her in his crystal-blue eyes, a feeling of gratitude so immense that words couldn't even begin to express it. But it was only for a moment, because as he caught sight of the tearstains on her face, his expression quickly changed, becoming concerned, almost scared. "You're crying," he whispered, his voice sounding almost guilty.

She wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Even after such a grievous blow, he still was more worried about her than himself. Part of her was truly touched, another part wanted to slap him and start shouting at him that it was all right to be concerned about his own well-being once in a while. But she did neither of those things, instead choosing to wipe her eyes and turn her gaze to the floor, the beds, the window—anywhere but his face. She didn't want to see that concern for her, not when there were so many more important things that he needed to be worrying about. "I'm sorry," she whispered back, sniffling. For what, she wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that she shouldn't have been crying, not now, not when he needed her support so badly.

For that very reason, his next words took her completely by surprise. "Why?" he asked softly, the question so unexpected that she lifted her eyes to his without thinking. He was frowning slightly, his expression confused, pained but at the same time the picture of innocence. "You don't... have anything to be sorry for."

It was hard to say what happened after that, mostly because her brain seemed to have stopped working for a few seconds. But at that moment her heart went out to him more than ever before, and she could feel a powerful emotion swelling in her chest, her love for him suddenly and inexplicably intensifying to a point she had never thought possible. So great was this sudden rush of affection that she actually had to consciously restrain herself from stepping forward and kissing him right then and there—it was as though some invisible psynergetic force was pulling her lips towards his. But she knew the situation was hardly appropriate, and so she had to be content with simply staring at him silently.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. They just continued to stare at each other, both of them unsure of what to do or say but at the same time not wanting to break eye contact with the other. It was Mia that finally broke the silence, with a question she wasn't quite sure she should ask at that moment. "Are you... going to be all right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

At those words his eyes finally left hers, falling to the floor. "I..." he began softly, but then he stopped, letting out a sigh before looking back up at her. "I'll be okay," he reassured her. The way his lips curled as he said those words wasn't quite a smile, but the feeling behind it was genuine this time.

With the sudden surge of affection still warming her heart, she had to resist the urge to blush at his words. She simply stared back at him, smiling very slightly, unable to think of anything to say.

It was only for a moment, however, because a second later Isaac turned away, letting out a breath. "Well," he said slowly, awkwardly, as though part of him didn't want the conversation to end, "I should let you get changed."

And he began making his way to the door. He had only gotten halfway there, though, when he suddenly stopped, seeming to think about something. A moment later he had turned to her again, his expression almost nervous. "Mia?" he asked, very quietly.

It was a few seconds before she replied. "Yes?"

Had the circumstances been different the expression on his face then would have been enough to make her melt into his arms. "Thank you," he said softly, looking directly at her. She could see from his eyes that he wasn't just saying those words out of routine, that he truly meant it, and that her gesture of sympathy had meant so much more to him than words could possibly say. "For... everything."

And with that, he left the room and closed the door, leaving Mia with a strange mixture of sorrow, pity, and love coursing through her veins.

* * *

It has always bothered me how little attention the heroes of the first Golden Sun pay to Felix's "death." Now granted, this is most likely because Felix doesn't actually die, but the four Adepts have no way of knowing that, and as such the actions that they take following Felix's leap from the lighthouse can't be thought of as anything but mind-boggling. Isaac doesn't say a word (well, okay, he never does), Garet hears Jenna's name and immediately forgets about Felix entirely, and Ivan and Mia suddenly turn into insensitive pricks and remind Isaac that he's going to be the one who'll have to break the news to Jenna when they find her—as though the poor kid hasn't already been hit hard enough. As you probably saw in the beginning of this chapter, I threw all that out, simply because the four Adepts' actions in-game were simply too out-of-character for me to even consider including them in my story. 

Now, maybe it's just me, but it's always been my belief that Isaac and Garet never thought of Felix as evil, and that he was still the same Felix he had always been—just that Saturos and Menardi were forcing him to do their bidding by threatening Jenna. As such, I can't see why Felix's decision to jump after Sheba could've been anything other than devastating to Isaac and Garet, and I really wanted to reflect that in the events of this chapter—both in the conversation on the aerie and Isaac's breakdown in the inn.

This chapter actually marks the first time in my career on this site that I've written the end of a chapter before the beginning—I usually can't write in anything other than sequence. Believe it or not, the end of this chapter—and the idea for Isaac's emotional breakdown—had been sitting around in my documents folder since _November_. Given the content, I can't really expect you guys to have "enjoyed" this chapter per se, but I hope that you felt it was well-written, and I would appreciate it very much if you let me know what you thought of it in your reviews. Make sure to tell me if everyone's in-character, especially Isaac—I'm not sure how you guys are going to feel about his reaction to Felix's death.

But anyway... one look at the character list for the next chapter and I think you'll know immediately what's going to be happening in it. ;) To top it off, the 24th marks the beginning of my spring break, which means I'll have plenty of time to go over this next chapter and make sure it's absolutely perfect—I've been building up to this moment for almost a year and a half, after all. I know from your reviews that you guys have enjoyed the ride as much as I have, so I hope you'll stick around for the finale. :) In the meantime, though...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

_**next chapter: **Isaac and Mia _(both perspectives)  
_**expect next chapter by: **April 9_


	15. Isaac and Mia: Tender Affection

Well... here we are. You guys all know what's about to happen, so I don't think I have to say anything at all. ;)

Those of you who didn't leave signed reviews for me last chapter (and hell, probably those of you who did as well) are probably wondering where in God's name I went for the last two and a half months or so, but I don't really feel like answering that here—it'd end up being pretty lengthy. If you're that interested, you can always send me a PM, and I'll be happy to get back to you. But for now, anonymous reviewer thanks for the last chapter go out to _reader #12689669659053_, _Maver1ck22_, _Ryan A Raford_, _someguy_, and _lordXblade_. And now... here's chapter 15.

**_chapter fifteen_**  
_Isaac and Mia_  
**_tender affection_**

The warm night was calm, almost silent—an unusual event on the normally rough seas. The light of the moon and the stars shone down from the clear sky, bathing the Lemurian ship in their pale glow and causing the waters to sparkle and shine as far as the eye could see. Even after five straight days of sailing on it, Isaac still felt that the ocean was a sight to behold. Kraden had often told him, Garet and Jenna stories about it, and he himself had seen the ocean when he and his friends had traveled by the coast of the continent, but it was impossible to appreciate its full vastness until one had sailed upon it himself. It was a humbling thought, to think that no matter how far he and his friends voyaged across the sea there would always be more of it.

He was leaning on the railing near the front of the ship now, watching the moon as it rose into the sky and staring at the sea as the waves gently rolled across the waters. He was technically on first watch, but with the lack of monsters that both lived in the ocean and could get on the ship the watch system was now more of a formality than anything. It was best to be cautious, of course, but the watches that he had performed the past few nights had been little more than opportunities to simply sit and think, and tonight's seemed to be turning into more of the same.

Not that he minded, though. He did, after all, have quite a bit to think about.

The images were still burned into his mind. Felix, drawing his sword as Isaac tried to approach him. Felix, telling him without hesitation that it was now his responsibility to light the beacons. Felix, staring at him with that hardened, almost emotionless expression, without any relief or affection whatsoever for the two boys that had once been his closest friends. No matter how hard he tried to think about something else—even Mia—the images simply would not get out of his head. Because even after five days of thinking about the events of that day, he still couldn't figure out what had been going through the mind of his old friend at that moment.

Saturos and Menardi's motives might have been insane, but Isaac could at least comprehend them. It had been obvious enough from their actions that the two members of the Fire Clan were ruthless, without mercy, and had a lust for destruction, traits that complemented perfectly their mad scheme to light the elemental lighthouses and bring an end to Weyard. But Felix, on the other hand... Felix was none of those things. Back in Vale he had been kind, quiet, and thoughtful—the very antithesis of Saturos and Menardi, the very last person Isaac would have expected to want to destroy the world. So what, then, had changed about him between then and Venus Lighthouse? Why did he still want to light the beacons, even when he knew as well as Isaac did what would happen when they were lit?

There had to be something he was missing, something about the power of the lighthouses that he and his friends didn't know. There had to be, because if there wasn't, then what else could possibly explain Felix's actions? And yet every possibility, every scenario that Isaac created in his mind was shot down by the fact that the Wise One, the very guardian of Weyard itself had told him and Garet that the lighting of the beacons would mean the end of the world. What explanation was there that could stand up to that...?

He frowned as he stared down at the water. He had, of course, considered speaking to Mia about this. But as wonderful of a girl as she was, as often as she had comforted him and soothed his doubts in the past, Isaac doubted that she had any more of an answer to his questions than he did. After all, he had known Felix for years... and yet he still had no idea what the brown-haired boy had been thinking atop the Venus Lighthouse. How could he expect Mia, who had barely even seen the other Venus Adept, let alone met him, to understand his motives any better?

And then, of course, there was the problem of that one explanation he had thought of a while back, that one possibility that he was even afraid to admit to himself, let alone Mia...

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, the very girl Isaac was thinking about at that moment stood some distance away, frozen in the doorway that led to the lower decks. Clad in only her pale blue nightdress, her long azure hair down from its usual ponytail, she watched him from afar silently, nervously. Her heart was racing.

She still didn't know whether being out here was a good idea.

It didn't take a mind reader to know what Isaac was thinking about now, not when he was staring out at the sea with that melancholy expression. He had been like this for much of the past five days, subdued and solemn, speaking little. For the most part she had kept a respectful distance from him during that time, knowing that he had all the right in the world to mourn for his friend in his own way. But at the same time... she didn't want to see him in such a state, not when she had tried so hard and done so much to pull him out of it only a few days ago. She wanted to make that terrible melancholy expression of his disappear. More than anything in the world, she wanted to see him smile again.

The only problem, however, was that trying to do that was at best a very risky idea. Garet at least seemed to have somewhat recovered from the incident on Venus Lighthouse, but she wasn't sure if Isaac was ready to move on from the loss of his friend just yet, and if he wasn't then trying to force him would only result in him getting upset with her. But still... seeing Isaac like this reminded her of the pain she had gone through when Alex had betrayed her clan, and she didn't want to see Isaac suffer alone like she had. She certainly wasn't expecting him to forget about Felix, but she wanted him to realize that it was important for him to look towards the future now... not drown himself in regret over what could have been done like she had with Alex. And if he wasn't yet ready to move on... then she could at least be the person he could talk to, would at least be willing to share his pain.

And now, at night, was the best time to speak to him. The Lemurian ship had been designed for many passengers, and as a result each of the four Adepts now had their own room, so she could no longer count on being able to speak with him before bed like she had in the Lalivero inn. And though she was perfectly capable of talking to him during the day... she didn't want to risk an interruption from Ivan or Garet, not when she was talking with Isaac about such an incredibly personal matter. It was selfish of her, perhaps, since Ivan and Garet were his close friends as well... but she wanted to speak to Isaac alone. And now that the other two boys were asleep... she finally had her chance.

All that remained now was to actually gather up her courage and approach him. But once again, just as they had been doing as she lay awake in her bed only a few minutes ago, the doubts were rising again, her mind telling her that perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. She didn't have to do this, her mind protested... he would undoubtedly return to his old self on his own, and she didn't have to risk making a fool of herself just so that might happen a little sooner...

Nevertheless, she knew, she was out here now, and there was no need for her to back away from this chance to help Isaac when he was standing right in front of her. So closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying her best to quell the nervousness within her, and then slowly made her way over to where Isaac was standing.

She wasn't wearing any shoes, so the sounds of the gentle waves were more than enough to drown out her soft footsteps. Even when she reached him, Isaac was still leaning over the ship's railing, not having noticed her approach. For a brief moment the doubts flared again, telling her to walk away before he noticed her, but now that she was right next to him she knew that would just be foolish. So instead, she simply tried her best to smile, and said softly, "Hi."

The unexpected voice surprised Isaac, breaking him out of his reverie. He looked up suddenly, turning around, but as he recognized the person at whom he was looking his surprise quickly faded, his expression melting into a small, slightly sheepish smile. "Oh... hey Mia," he answered, thankful for the distraction from his thoughts. He wasn't really sure what she was doing outside at this hour, especially in her nightdress, but if she wanted to talk to him now he certainly wasn't about to push her away. He gave a small chuckle, one of his hands reaching up and absently scratching the back of his neck as his cheeks turned faintly pink. "Heh... I didn't even hear you come out here."

She giggled, the sight of his smile causing her own to grow and her hopes to rise. She wasn't sure if he was really in the mood for a joke, but with that expression on his face the temptation was too great to resist. "I thought you were on watch," she said mock-reprovingly, her crystal-blue eyes twinkling mischievously at him. "Isn't it your job to notice things approaching you?"

"A-ah..." Isaac began, his cheeks reddening, but he recovered quickly. "Come on, that's not fair," he jokingly whined, still with that sheepish smile on his face. "Nothing's attacked this ship the entire time we've been out here. And besides," he added, eager to get the focus of the conversation off himself, "what are you doing out here this late, anyway? I didn't think you even had a watch tonight."

Her gaze fell to the deck, but she continued to smile, glad that she had at least had the foresight to see this question coming. "I don't," she answered simply, then turned away, staring out at the sea and shrugging slowly. "But I just thought it was a nice night, and I wasn't all that tired... so I figured I'd just come outside for a bit," she lied. She couldn't help but think that on another night, she might've used that same false excuse to give herself a chance to reveal her feelings to him. But unable to resist another playful jab at him, she pushed that thought away and turned her eyes back to his, grinning mischievously. "Though from the looks of things, maybe I need to help you guard the ship," she remarked.

But Isaac was ready for her this time, as he raised an eyebrow, grinning back at her. "In your nightgown?" he asked skeptically.

Mia looked down at her garments. "Touché," she replied, giggling. Stepping forward, she took a place on the railing beside him with a smile. With the way the conversation was going, she didn't think she would even have to bring up Felix at all—Isaac seemed in such good spirits now that she had to wonder if she had just imagined that melancholy expression. Of course, though, she didn't mind this one bit—after all, she loved spending time with Isaac, just talking with him, and now that Ivan and Garet were asleep she certainly wasn't about to give up this opportunity to be alone with the boy she had fallen for. But even as she thought that, the familiar nervousness began to set in. She had gotten awfully close to him without even noticing, and all of a sudden, with a quick realization, she had to resist the urge to blush—this was how the people in all those love stories confessed their feelings to each other, wasn't it? Under the stars, without anyone else around...?

"S-so... how's the watch going?" she asked after a moment, intent on keeping the conversation going and taking her focus off her thoughts. It was a bit of a lame question, perhaps, but it was certainly preferable to remaining silent. Luna only knew how red her face might get if she kept entertaining the fantasies that were starting to appear in her head...

Isaac chuckled, shaking his head. "You have to ask?" he replied with a smirk, turning to the waters. Truthfully, though, he was trying his hardest to not pay attention to how close Mia had suddenly gotten to him... the Mercury Adept's nightdress revealed a bit too much of her body for his eyes to ignore, especially at such a short distance. And was it just his imagination, or did her face seem pinker than normal? Pushing those thoughts away as best he could, he let out a small sigh, not of sorrow or frustration but merely of tiredness. "... Nah," he added after a moment, leaning on the railing as well and looking towards the sea with a small smile. "All I've really been doing is sitting here and staring at the water. As always."

"Mm-hmm," Mia responded softly, following Isaac's lead and looking out at the ocean as well. She was silent for a few moments, simply watching the sparkles from the moonlight dance along the waves, very aware of Isaac next to her. She knew well what she wanted to say next, but she couldn't help but hesitate somewhat, wondering whether he might find it silly. When she finally did speak, it was with a slight blush on her face, but she was smiling serenely, her long azure hair fluttering in the light breeze. "It's... really very pretty though, isn't it?" she asked.

Isaac's throat suddenly went dry. Now _that_ was a sign a girl was in a romantic mood if he had ever heard one. It should have made him feel hopeful, but for some reason the only sensation he felt was that of his heart suddenly beating much faster than it was supposed to. Why was she asking something like that?

Unconsciously, one of his hands reached up and started scratching the back of his neck again. "I-I, well... yeah, I guess so," he responded softly, awkwardly, a sheepish smile on his face. "I was actually just thinking before you came out here that it doesn't matter how much you've seen it... it's still an amazing thing to think that something like this actually _exists_."

She glanced at him, a sly tinge making its way into her expression. "Well, your village was pretty far inland," she replied, amused. "I don't think it's really the same when you've lived on the coast all your life like I have."

He chuckled, his nervousness fading—it seemed that her earlier remark had been innocent after all. "Hey, you did say it was pretty," he remarked playfully, glancing at her.

She shrugged, still smiling. "What can I say? It is." She turned her gaze back to the sea, letting out a small, wistful sigh. "I remember when I was younger, I would sometimes go out to the beach when it was warmer and just watch the waves for hours." She hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking again, remembering what she had seen Isaac doing before she had come outside, but nevertheless continued, "It really let me just... calm myself down and think about stuff when things at the sanctum got hectic."

Isaac's smile faded slightly, his earlier thoughts coming back to him, but Mia didn't see it, not daring to turn her head after those words. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he said softly, at the same time trying his best to think about something else. "You look at the sea for awhile, and..." But he couldn't find the right words.

She turned to him as he trailed off, silently cursing her big mouth. Why did she have to go and say something like that? He had been in such a good mood only a minute ago, and she had probably just gone and ruined it all by reminding him of the one thing she had wanted him to _stop_ thinking about. "... And what?" she asked quietly after a few moments, trying to get the conversation back on track.

But he just shrugged, frowning. "Ah... I don't know," he replied somberly, unable to drive the thoughts away. He turned to her, his mind in turmoil. He knew he could talk to her about his thoughts, knew that she would listen to anything and everything he had to say, but at the same time it didn't feel like the right time to tell her about something like that, felt as though it would be wrong to depress her when she had seemed so peaceful and serene only a few moments prior. He sighed gently, a self-deprecating smile making its way into his expression as he rubbed his face with a hand. "Sorry," he said after a moment, trying to pass his melancholy thoughts off as nothing. "I'm just a little distracted."

But Mia saw right through his act. Thankfully he didn't seem to be in nearly as terrible of a state as he had been in the Lalivero inn, but it was still clear something was bothering him, and if that was the case then she was willing to do anything she could to get rid of it. Frowning slightly, she gave him a concerned look and quietly asked, "Isaac, is everything all right?" She knew full well the answer to that question, but she didn't want Isaac to feel as though he was being forced to talk about Felix if he didn't want to.

He stared at her for a moment, his smile fading. Sol, nothing in the world could stand up to that concerned look of hers—one glance at the honest emotion in her crystal-blue eyes and he felt like his heart was going to melt. But while he knew she would listen to him, he was still fearful of that one thought in the back of his head, that one thought that he was afraid even she might not understand. "Mia..." he began with a sigh, his gaze falling to the deck. He frowned, hesitating for a moment, then decided on what he felt was the best course of action. "I-... If I talk to you about this, can you promise..." he looked up, nervously, "... not to get mad at me?"

Mia blinked, taken aback, speaking before she had a chance to think. "Why would I get mad at you?"

But Isaac just stared back at her hesitantly, not daring to tell her anything until he was sure she wouldn't rebuke him for it. He swallowed hard, his eyes falling to the deck for a moment before rising again to her eyes. "Just... promise me, okay?" he asked slowly, uncertainly.

Mia bit her lip. She didn't understand why Isaac would ask her such a thing, but it was safe to say that the reason behind his request couldn't be anything good. Nevertheless, if it would give her a chance to help him, she wasn't about to refuse. "Okay," she replied softly after a moment, nodding her head slowly. "I promise."

The corners of his mouth curled just the slightest bit upwards. "Thanks," he whispered, sincerely. But a second later he was silent again, unsure of how to begin. The question he finally decided upon was one he knew Mia probably wouldn't like, but it was a question whose answer he had to know. He took a deep breath, preparing himself, turning away for a short moment. "Mia," he began, a sense of nervousness slowly growing in his gut. He turned back to her, looking straight into her crystal-blue eyes, trying as hard as he could to keep his gaze there. "How did you feel... when the Mercury beacon was lit?"

Mia's mouth nearly dropped open at those words. She knew she had promised not to get angry at him, but for Luna's sake, how could he be so insensitive as to ask something like that? He knew how bitter of a memory that was for her! "Isaac, what are you _saying_?" she demanded, staring at him incredulously. "You _know_ it was my duty to keep the Lighthouse from being lit, you _know_ how horrible I—"

"Mia, wait, calm down," Isaac hastily pleaded, putting up his hands defensively. She stopped, but continued to stare at him with a scowl, sending waves of fear through his body. He shook his head, his gaze falling to the deck—he couldn't bear to see her like that. "I-I'm sorry, no... th-that came out wrong," he tried to explain, hoping she would listen.

She let out a breath, her anger slowly fading. A sense of guilt quickly replaced it as she recalled her promise—she had been so quick to get angry at him that she hadn't even stopped to wonder if there was a reason behind his question. "Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "When I think about that day, I-I just..."

"I know," Isaac finished softly for her, looking up again. She looked up as well, the anger in her eyes gone, and he mentally heaved a sigh of relief—that could have ended very badly. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "But what I meant to say was... when the beacon was lit, did you... feel any different? L-like..." he added hastily, hoping to clarify the question so that she wouldn't misunderstand him again, "... did it do anything to your psynergy?"

Mia stared at him for a long moment, frowning slightly as the memories of the Mercury aerie came back to her. Hadn't Alex said something to her about this after their fight with Saturos? Something about the lighthouse bestowing her with a great power, and limitless psynergy... And he hadn't been lying to her then, either, for she had been able to feel the power he had spoken of flowing through her veins, not just when she was on the lighthouse, but in the following days, as well...

"I-I... well... yes," she replied softly, slowly, casting her eyes downward. She couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed; it felt so wrong to feel good about what the lighthouse had done to her when it had been her duty to prevent the beacon from being lit. "E-... ever since then, I've felt a bit..." she paused a moment, struggling to find the right word, then finally decided on the one he had used, "... different."

Isaac frowned, already having a good idea of what she meant. Truthfully, he had been fairly certain what her answer would be before he had even asked her the question, but he wanted to make sure that it wasn't just him who felt... "different." Nevertheless, he had to be certain that she was thinking the same thing he was. "What do you mean?" he asked carefully, still trying his hardest not to provoke her again.

She bit her lip, still not looking at him. "Well, I've... felt more powerful," she responded, slowly. "Before the lighthouse was lit, it took me a lot of effort to use my healing powers," she explained. "But now... it's almost like I don't even have to try. And... and all these offensive spells I've figured out... I'd've never dreamed I could..." She trailed off.

He sighed, a grim expression on his face. "So you've... felt it too, then?"

Mia looked up at that, blinking, then quickly realized what he was saying. "You mean... now that the Venus lighthouse has been lit..."

"Yeah," Isaac finished for her, his gaze dropping slightly. "I've... felt more powerful, too."

Mia could only stare back at him helplessly, unsure of what to say. Was this what she had seen him thinking about when she had come outside? She could understand if he felt a bit troubled about his newfound powers, for she had felt the same way about hers after the Mercury beacon had been lit. But the thought also assailed her with a sense of despair, because while she could at least offer some words of comfort when Isaac dwelled on Felix's death, she had no idea what to say when it came to this. If anything, she knew, she understood the mysteries of the lighthouses even less than he did.

So she remained silent, causing him to look up a second later and meet her gaze again. They stared at each other for a long moment, both of them frowning slightly, neither of them knowing how to continue.

Finally, however, Isaac let out a breath and looked away, leaning on the railing again. He knew what he wanted to say next, but he was getting closer to the heart of the problem now, and with every step he took towards it he became more and more afraid that Mia might get angry at him and push him away. "Mia..." he said quietly, his heart hammering, not daring to turn and look at her. "D-doesn't it... seem a little weird to you?"

"... What do you mean?" she hesitantly asked after a moment, a sense of nervousness growing in her gut. She was beginning to understand what he was getting at, but she wanted to make sure she wasn't mistaken.

Isaac sighed, still staring at the sea. "It's just that..." He paused for a moment, his face falling. "We've both been told all the time that if the lighthouses are lit, the world will be destroyed. A-and yet..." He stopped, unable to continue. He took a deep breath, about to try again, but Mia spoke first, already having realized what he was going to say.

"... And yet two of them have been lit now, and all they've done is make us stronger," she finished for him, her gaze falling to the deck. "And the Mercury lighthouse has saved my entire town."

She wasn't sure what to think. The stories that her parents and the rest of her clan had told her when she was younger had always painted the powers contained by the lighthouses in a terrible light, had completely convinced her that the lighting of the beacons could bring about a catastrophe. And she had never seriously questioned those stories, not even after the Mercury lighthouse had been lit, too blinded by anger and hurt at Alex's betrayal to consider her newfound powers as anything more than stinging reminders of the duty she had failed to perform. But now that the Venus Lighthouse had been lit, and Isaac's powers had been augmented as well, it was becoming harder and harder to accept the stories from her childhood as the absolute truth. After all, if the lighthouses' powers were so destructive, then why would they help her, and her friends, and especially the whole of Imil? And moreover, why would anyone actually want to see the lighthouses lit?

Isaac, on the other hand, was quite surprised to hear Mia finish his sentence. He knew how committed she was to their quest, and it honestly would not have shocked him if she had gotten upset with him for thinking of the lighthouses as anything but instruments of destruction. But to hear her say those words, to hear her voice the same doubts he was having... well, it was calming, to say the least. It let him know that he wasn't alone... and that he could talk to her about even this, the one thought he was so afraid of.

Still, though, even if he could talk to her about it, it didn't change the gravity of that one thought. "... Yeah," he answered softly, turning to her. He frowned when he saw her troubled expression, knowing that she was probably wondering the same thing he was. "Why do you think they...?" He didn't finish the question, but it was obvious enough to both of them what he was asking.

She shook her head gravely, looking up. "I don't know," she answered, truthfully.

They stared at each other for a long moment then, both of them uncertain how to continue. Eventually, however, Isaac broke the silence, looking away again. "The thing is though..." he explained softly, "... if Saturos and Menardi hadn't fallen into the lighthouse, and they had gotten away again... I-I don't think I'd even be worried about this now."

Mia cocked her head slightly, unsure why he would be mentioning the two members of the Fire Clan. "Why do you say that?" she asked, a bit uncertainly.

Isaac shook his head, frowning. "I don't know, it's just that..." He paused, letting out a sigh. "When they were still around, everything seemed so... clear-cut, you know? They wanted to destroy the world, we wanted to stop them... and that was all there was to it."

Mia stared at him, her eyebrows arching nervously as she once again began to understand what he was trying to say. "A-and now?" she asked, very quietly.

"Well... they're gone now," Isaac answered, still looking away from her, his heart suddenly hammering. "B-but... Felix, and..." His head turned almost of its own accord to look at her, and he hesitated for a moment, wondering whether she would be bothered by the name he was about to mention. Finally, though, he decided that it had to be said. "... A-and... I'll bet your friend Alex, too..." he murmured. "They... they still wanted to see the lighthouses lit."

Mia frowned, her gaze falling to the deck at the mention of her former apprentice. A small part of her wanted to rebuke him for referring to Alex as her "friend," but she had promised not to get angry at him. Besides, what was far more important was what she realized he was implying. "So... what are you saying, then?" she asked slowly, looking up. "That... that Alex and Felix wanted to light the lighthouses... because it would make their psynergy stronger?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so," he replied softly, staring at her sadly. "Felix wouldn't be that selfish. I think..." He stopped for a moment, turning to the sea and letting out another sigh. "I-I think Felix wanted to make _everyone's_ psynergy stronger."

Mia cast her eyes downward, now fully understanding the point Isaac was trying to make, and the reason why he was so troubled. "And... is that what you think will happen, if all the lighthouses are lit?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Isaac shook his head again, his breathing growing heavy. "I don't know," he replied nervously, causing her to look up. Part of him kept insisting that she would understand if he said his next words, but he was still afraid to voice it aloud, that one thought he was so fearful of. Nevertheless, he knew, there was no point in keeping the thought hidden. Mia was here now, by his side, and if there was anyone who would know what to say to him when he revealed this thought... it was her.

So taking a deep breath, Isaac turned to her, his expression uncertain, almost fearful. "B-but... what if it is?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if... it turns out that lighting the beacons will actually make something _good_ happen, and all this time, we were... wrong?"

And for several seconds, Mia could only stare back at him helplessly, unsure of how to respond. A large part of her, the part that insisted she had to fulfill her duty to the Mercury Clan, wanted to immediately tell him no, wanted to tell him that there was no possible way that the lighthouses would do anything but destroy the world. But regardless of the stories she had been told as a child, regardless of the duties she had been told to perform as a member of the Mercury Clan... the fact remained that Isaac had a point. His position was quite a precarious one, to be sure, since his thoughts went against teachings that had been passed down for hundreds of years, perhaps longer... but it was just strong enough that she couldn't immediately dismiss it. After all, unless all the lighthouses were actually lit... who could say which side was right and which side was wrong?

She swallowed hard. "That's... a very bold claim," she finally replied, unable to think of anything else to say.

"I know," Isaac responded despairingly, his expression almost ashamed, as though he knew how blasphemous the words he was saying were. "But Mia, I... I-I _can't_ accept that Felix wanted to destroy the world," he continued, shaking his head and looking away. "There..." His throat was tightening now, making it very hard to speak. "There has to be some sort of _reason_..."

"Isaac..." Mia murmured, staring at him sadly. But nothing more would come than that. After all, what could she say? One side had to be wrong, and it didn't matter which one it turned out to be. If it was Felix, then Isaac would have to admit that his childhood friend had actively been trying to bring an end to Weyard. But if it was them, then everything she and her friends had done—all their travels, fights, and near-fatal risks—had been for naught. She didn't want to believe that, didn't want to believe that she had been fighting for the wrong cause. But at the same time... she also didn't want to believe that Felix was evil. Not after witnessing the sacrifice he had made for Sheba.

Isaac was right, there had to have been a reason behind Felix's actions. And everything hinged on just what that reason was. She had no idea what might have driven Felix to do what he had done... but there was, she remembered, someone who did.

And suddenly, she knew exactly what she should say.

She stepped forward, so slowly that Isaac didn't notice. But when she reached up and placed a slender hand on his shoulder... that definitely got his attention. He turned his head to find her staring at him, hope shining in her crystal-blue eyes. "Then we'll find out what that reason is," she said, softly. "We'll find Jenna, and Kraden, and... a-and Alex," she added, never once taking her eyes off his, "and we'll find out what's going on. They'll know, Isaac, I'm sure of it."

He was silent for a moment, staring at her sadly. She was right, of course. She was always right. But her answer left one critical question unanswered, that one frightening thought. "... And if we're wrong?" he asked nervously, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Her initial impulse was to tell him that they weren't wrong, but after what he had said earlier she had to admit that the possibility, however small, was still there. "If we're wrong," she therefore replied with conviction, her gaze flicking down for a moment before rising again to his eyes, "then... we'll do everything we can to set things right again."

His gaze fell slightly at that. But despite the worries, despite the doubts still floating in his mind, he almost wanted to smile. That was pure Mia right there, the defining trait of the girl he had fallen for. How was it, he wondered, that she always seemed to have the perfect answer to everything he said?

Mia, on the other hand, frowned as she saw Isaac's eyes lower. Truthfully, she couldn't blame him if he was still worried, and consequently she was a bit hesitant to say her next words. But she pressed onwards, because after all... this was what she had wanted to tell him in the first place, wasn't it? She squeezed his shoulder lightly, trying to reassure him.

"Isaac," she said sadly, "I understand how you feel. But... worrying about whether or not we're wrong isn't going to change anything." He looked up at that, his expression unreadable, making her a bit unsure if she was helping, but she nevertheless continued. "I know it's hard, but..." She sighed, her eyes turning away from his for a fraction of a second before returning. "We need to focus on finding out the answers for sure now, not... worrying about what the answers might end up being."

Isaac stared at her for a long moment, that unreadable expression still on his face. Finally, however, he let out a sigh, his gaze falling to the deck. Once again, she was right. The fears in his mind were still there, and Isaac doubted they would ever vanish completely, but Mia's advice, as always, made perfect sense. What use was it to spend his time worrying about what Felix's motives _might_ have been, when he and his friends had a way of finding out that information for certain? He had to stop doting on Felix's death, and look towards the future now... not worry about mistakes he might have made in the past. Felix, or at least the Felix he knew, wouldn't have wanted him to do that.

And this time, he did smile. It was a fragile little thing, almost sad, but it was a genuine smile nonetheless.

He looked up slowly, meeting her eyes again. She was frowning at him slightly, that concerned look still in her eyes. But then she noticed his smile, and her expression slowly began to change. Slowly, her frown disappeared, and a moment later her lips were curling upwards slightly, her eyes were sparkling with happiness. She could feel a pleasant warmth blossoming in her veins as she gave him a small smile to match his, as her brain frantically tried to think of something she could say that would express just how delighted she was to see him happy again. But nothing came to mind, and so she simply smiled at him silently, enjoying the moment for as long as she could.

And Isaac was feeling much the same, his worries seeming to melt away as she smiled at him in that wonderful way of hers. He could feel his smile widen as he stared at her, the warmth in his body intensifying as he realized he was the reason for that beautiful change in her expression. Unlike her, however, Isaac knew exactly what he wanted to say. "... You're right," he said after a moment, very quietly. He chuckled slightly, his next words escaping him before he had a chance to think. "You're always right."

Mia could feel herself blush horribly at that, her heart suddenly racing. She looked away, still smiling, but not daring to look at his eyes. "I-I'm not always right," she softly protested as she shook her head, flattered.

Isaac could feel himself blush slightly then, too. "Well..." he began, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, "it definitely feels like you are sometimes." His gaze fell slightly just as she looked up, a tinge of embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he remembered the promise he had forced her to make, but he continued to smile. "You're not... mad at me for thinking about this, are you?" he asked softly, looking up and meeting her eyes again. It was a silly question, one whose answer he practically knew already, but nevertheless he wanted to hear her reply.

She shook her head slowly, still smiling as she realized the reason behind his question. "No... not at all," she replied, her voice just as soft as his was. "Though I, ah..." She felt her face redden a bit further, and she let out a small, nervous giggle. "I-I guess I can see why you'd think that."

He chuckled at that. But a moment later they fell into silence once again, smiling at each other. Another thought had entered into Isaac's head, one he had wanted to share with her for a long time, but this one was much harder to voice, and he had to wonder how she would react to it. He was distracted from his thoughts, however, when he felt Mia's hand squeeze his shoulder lightly again. It was only when she did that that he realized her hand was still there, and that she was about to pull it away. But if she did that, he knew, then this special, precious moment between them might come to an end. And he didn't want to even risk that happening, not when he didn't know whether he would ever get this sort of chance alone with her again.

Even when he looked back on it, he would still never understand what drove him to do what he did at that moment. But just before she took her hand away, Isaac, in a display of courage the likes of which he had never shown before, slowly raised his other arm and gingerly placed his hand on hers.

And for a moment, Mia simply stared at Isaac's hand silently, surprised by his sudden movement. But then she realized just what he was doing, and what it meant, and suddenly her face was so red she could have sworn it was on fire. She smiled widely, almost disbelievingly, her eyes locked on his hand, as though expecting it to vanish at any moment. He had barely even touched her before, and even when he had it had always been to reassure her, never to show affection. But now... a wild hope was filling her, so powerful that she almost wanted to laugh. Could this possibly mean...?

"J-just for a little while," he managed to stammer out softly, smiling at her nervously, his cheeks a brilliant red and his heart hammering so hard he feared it might burst out of his chest. "... Please?"

His fingers moved a little against the back of her hand, and Mia felt a small shiver run through her arm and down her spine. Luna, he had to ask? This one simple gesture was probably making her happier than she had ever felt in her life. She tried to open her mouth and tell him so, but she couldn't speak; it felt like something was blocking her throat. So instead she simply looked up and smiled at him, wordlessly telling him that it was all right.

Truthfully, Isaac hadn't really been planning to keep his hand on hers, but now that he could see how happy his gesture was making her, he didn't have any reason not to. He was silent for a long moment, reveling in the sensation, his heart still hammering as he started to realize just _why_ Mia was so happy. But abruptly a thought popped back into his head, the thought he had been about to share with her before their hands had touched. Only a short while ago he had been nervous to speak it aloud, but seeing that magical smile on her face made him feel as though he could do anything. "Mia?" he whispered, his expression becoming slightly sheepish.

"Y-yes?" she managed to choke out, still positively beaming.

His eyes fell slightly, and he let out a nervous chuckle. What he was about to ask her was a bit silly, he knew, but nevertheless he wanted her to know just what he thought about her. So without any further hesitation, he looked up, giving her a small, fond smile. "How do you always know exactly what to say?" he softly asked.

Her gaze fell to the deck, her face turning a shade redder, if that were possible. "Th-... that's not true, Isaac," she whispered, once again flattered by his compliments. She knew he meant every word, but the reply was almost instinctive.

"But it is true," Isaac protested, his smile widening. Why, he wondered, did she always have to be so modest? "Every time I'm feeling... I-I don't know, depressed, or scared about this whole thing... you always know exactly what to say to make me feel better."

She looked up at him then, her crystal-blue eyes sparkling with gratitude and affection. "Well... I don't know," she answered, very quietly. In a sudden surge of boldness, she slowly moved her fingers on his shoulder so that they were intertwined with his, hoping he would be too distracted by her words to notice. "I-I wasn't aware I was that helpful to you," she whispered, almost shyly.

But Isaac did notice her fingers moving under his, and when he realized what she was doing he could feel his stomach give a little flip in surprise and delight. Nevertheless, he gave no outward sign that he had felt her affectionate gesture, instead trying his best to concentrate on the conversation so that he wouldn't turn into a stammering idiot. "Are you kidding me?" he asked incredulously, smiling at her fondly. "Mia, if it weren't for you... I don't think I'd even be here right now."

She felt almost like she could cry with happiness at those words. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind now: Ivan had told her the truth outside of Lalivero. But his words also reminded her of a thought that had been playing around in her head for quite awhile, a thought she had occasionally considered talking to him about but that until now she had never really found an appropriate situation for. "Isaac," she slowly began, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he softly replied, having to consciously try to not let too much excitement enter his voice from the sensation of her fingers that were still entwined with his. "What is it?"

She smiled at him, embarrassed. It was a silly thought and she knew it, but nevertheless she had never quite been able to let it go. "Do you ever think that maybe... we were meant to meet each other?" she softly asked.

Isaac cocked his head, his heart now hammering wildly. "What do you mean?" he responded, in as calm a voice as he could manage.

She looked away, her face reddening. "Well... I-I don't know, it's just something I've thought about sometimes," she explained. "But it's just that..." She looked up. "You and Garet and Ivan arrived in Imil on the very same day that Saturos and Menardi lit the Mercury lighthouse. A-and... the entire reason I started fighting alongside you is because I needed your help to reach the aerie when that happened."

Isaac stared at her, still smiling, but unsure what she was trying to say. "And?" he softly asked, trying to help her along.

"Well... doesn't it seem like more than just a coincidence to you?" she asked him, still smiling broadly. "If you hadn't shown up on _that day_, then..."

Abruptly she stopped, suddenly blushing horribly. Then slowly, very slowly, she moved her outstretched arm and pulled her hand away from his shoulder. The look of dismay that started to appear on his face when she did that was just another bit of proof for Ivan's words, and the last encouragement she needed to do what she did next. Reaching up a little further, her fingers brushed against his face, and then she laid her hand gently on Isaac's cheek.

"Then I probably would have never met you," she finished, her voice the softest that Isaac had ever heard it.

And for Isaac, everything had suddenly become crystal-clear. He stared at her for a long moment, smiling broadly, simply enjoying the sensation of her hand against his face. Knowing there was nothing left to fear, he mimicked her gesture, reaching up and gingerly placing a hand on her cheek as well. They stayed like that for some time, neither of them speaking, but neither of them really needing to. Both of them understood completely what the other was thinking, even though neither of them had spoken aloud.

Eventually, however, he had to say something. "So... what are you saying, then?" he whispered, smiling at her almost playfully. "That the gods set up everything like this so we would end up together?"

She grinned, catching the meaning behind his words. "Yeah," she whispered, stepping forward. "Something like that." And then, without the slightest hesitation, she leaned forward and their lips met.

To call it "amazing" wouldn't have even begun to describe it. Isaac reacted almost instantly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. She responded in kind, circling her arms around his neck and pressing herself against him. A strange, pleasant warmth seemed to flow outwards from where their lips had met, spreading slowly, consuming them both with its intensity. They lost themselves in it, reveling in the sensation, letting out all the feelings they had kept bottled up inside for so long.

How long that first kiss lasted, neither of them would ever know. Time seemed to have lost all meaning as they stood there, their lips pressed together. But eventually it had to end, and they broke apart, their insides still tingling with pure joy. For a long time they simply stared into each other's eyes, still holding each other, the tips of their noses touching. Both of them were grinning like idiots, but neither of them could find it within themselves to care.

It was Isaac who finally broke the silence, the words tumbling out of him. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that?" he whispered in her ear.

Mia blushed but didn't look away. "I can imagine," she whispered back, giggling.

Isaac just smiled back at her. He was struck by the fact that perhaps he should say something, anything to let her know how elated he was, but his brain seemed to have stopped working properly. "Mia..." he whispered instead, chuckling sheepishly. "I don't even know what to say."

Her crystal-blue eyes were twinkling. "Then maybe you shouldn't say anything at all," she whispered, and kissed him again.

* * *

I didn't want Isaac and Mia to say, "I love you." 

This certainly wasn't because they don't feel that way about each other. I hope I made it obvious enough in the last fourteen chapters that both of them are head over heels. But one of the ideas I've stressed throughout this story, even from chapter one, is that Isaac and Mia understand each other in ways that most friends don't. And that was how I wanted their confession to play out: not to have them say their feelings outright, but to have their understanding grow to a point where they didn't even need to say those words.

This was also the reason I had the beginning of this chapter play out the way it did. I've always said in my story that Isaac and Mia both feel like they can talk to each other about anything at all, but while I've certainly shown that's the case when it comes to serious topics, it occurred to me as I started writing this chapter that I had never shown how comfortable the two are around each other in a more casual situation since perhaps even chapter one. The beginning of this chapter showed what I believed their relationship had become after spending so much time with each other, and I hope you guys thought it was well-done.

The most difficult part of this chapter, though, was writing the discussion between Isaac and Mia about Felix. To tell the truth, I had had this idea in mind for this chapter pretty much from the start. But the funny thing was that even though I had had a good year and a half to think about it, when I started writing that scene, I still had no idea how I wanted Mia to react to Isaac's doubts. We know from the game that she is incredibly devoted to her duty to the Mercury Clan, but at the same time, she is an intelligent and rational person. As such, I didn't know if I wanted her to dismiss Isaac's doubts as completely wrong, accept them as completely right, or something in between. In the end, though, I figured leaning towards the former would be the best course of action, and I hope you guys agree with me.

But honestly, I don't think you guys are too focused on the beginning or middle of this chapter. ;) I am _very_ proud of how the big confession turned out, and I hope you guys liked it. After all, I've been building up to this moment for a long, long time, and now, after a year and a half, Isaac and Mia are finally together. However, this story isn't quite done yet. There's still one more chapter I want to write, and that will deal with the aftermath of the events of this chapter—both with Isaac and Mia's newfound feelings for each other, and the reactions of two certain other boys. ;) So until then...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT

**_next chapter:_**_ Isaac, Mia, Garet and Ivan_


	16. Isaac, Mia, Garet & Ivan: New Morning

Well, here we are... the final chapter of _The Angel And The Slayer_. It's taken a long while to get here, hasn't it? About time that I finish this story off...

Once again, I suppose you guys are all wondering why the hell it took me so long to post this chapter, but this time I actually have a semi-decent excuse: I was in Japan for eight weeks this summer. Still, though, that really doesn't explain all of why it took me so long. I'll get back to that at the end of this chapter.

Other than that I don't really have much to say here... I'm saving my final thoughts about this story for the end of the chapter. In any case, anonymous reviewer thanks for the previous chapter go out to _unknown_, _Maver1ck22_, and _someguy_. Now, let's get on with this, shall we?

_**chapter sixteen**  
Isaac, Mia, Garet and Ivan  
**new morning**_

It still felt like a dream.

Even now, hours after the fact, Isaac still could not believe that the events of the previous night had actually happened. The joy and excitement were still coursing through his veins, more than enough proof that what had happened last night between him and Mia had been real, and yet for some reason, he was finding it very difficult to get his brain to accept that fact. Even when he replayed the memories in his mind's eye, even when he consciously told himself that yes, he _had_ kissed her, and that yes, she _had_ kissed him back, had expressed the very same feelings for him as he had for her... even then, he still found himself thinking that maybe he would soon wake up and realize that it had all been a dream. Everything about that magical time he had spent with her—everything they had said, everything they had done, every gesture of affection that they had shared—seemed simply too exciting, too blissful, too _perfect_ to be anything other than a product of his wistful imagination.

He was leaning on the railing at the front of the ship now, lost in his thoughts, just as he had been last night when Mia had come out to see him. His eyes were on the waves below him, on the dazzling sparkles that the light of the morning sun cast on the waters, but his mind couldn't have been further away. He knew it was a bit early for him to be up, and that his friends probably wouldn't be awake for a little while longer, but he hardly cared. There was no chance of him getting back to sleep, not with his mind racing with thoughts as it was. All he could do now, all he really _wanted_ to do now this early in the morning was to stand out here, watching the sea... and to recreate the events of last night in his head, over and over and over again.

He couldn't think straight. He hadn't been able to think straight ever since Mia's lips had first touched his, and he doubted his mind would start functioning properly again for days at the very least. Every thought he had ended up coming back to her—her crystal-blue eyes, her radiant smile, her passionate kiss. Even the mere thought of her was enough to bring back all the sensations he had felt last night, even the memory of her lips on his was enough to bring back the feeling of electricity shooting down his spine and make all the nerves in his body feel like they were on fire. Sol, he had never imagined that things could turn out so well. For weeks past he had been conjuring up images in his head about what it would be like, had imagined in detail a tender, romantic moment where he and Mia would breathlessly admit their feelings for each other, but what had happened last night had surpassed even his wildest expectations.

And yet the funniest thing about last night, he mused, was that neither of them had ever actually spoken their feelings aloud. Of course, it wasn't as though they had really needed to—after all, Isaac thought with a grin, kissing a girl like that made it pretty damned clear how you felt about her—but after weeks of agonizing over what he was going to say to Mia when he finally told her, it was just amusing to think that in the end he hadn't needed to say anything at all. Then again, he supposed, Mia had always been good at doing that, seeing his true feelings without him having to speak. He had to wonder, had she noticed how badly he was falling for her all along? Or had she been just like him, not knowing that her feelings were mutual until just a moment before they had kissed?

Another wave of warmth and affection washed over him at that thought, and for what felt like the millionth time Isaac wished that Mia was out there with him. But she was still asleep, he knew, and probably would be for a little while longer. A small part of him actually wanted to go and wake her up, but the rational part of his mind told him that would just annoy her, and the last thing he wanted was to risk making Mia upset so soon after they had revealed their feelings to each other. Besides, he thought with a wry smile, this was just something he was going to have to get used to, wasn't it? Obviously he wasn't going to be able to be alone with Mia every second of the day. His duties on the ship, as well as Garet and Ivan—though Isaac was trying very hard not to think about the two boys at the present moment—wouldn't let that happen.

His thoughts about the future, however, brought the single question he had been wondering about all morning back into the forefront of his mind. It was a simple question, and in truth it wasn't something that bothered him much, if at all, but nevertheless ever since Isaac had woken up the question had lain there, unanswered, in the back of his head:

What happened now?

It was almost funny, really, when he thought about it. He had spent so much time worrying about the moment itself—worrying about when to tell her, worrying about what to say, worrying about whether she returned his feelings. But now that the moment had passed, and Isaac knew that Mia felt just as strongly for him as he did for her, he realized that he had never once turned his mind to what happened after that. And more importantly, he realized he didn't know at all.

And despite the euphoria still coursing through his body, despite everything in his mind telling him that things could only get better from here... he couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit nervous about that fact.

After all, he had never been in any sort of relationship with a girl before, and now that he and Mia were a couple (or at least, he assumed that was what they were now), he had to wonder: was there anything he was supposed to do? Was there some sort of custom, some sort of unwritten rule that Mia would be expecting him to follow when he saw her again? And if there was, would she maybe... like him less if he didn't follow it?

But he pushed the nervousness under almost instantly, a small, almost self-deprecating smile forming on his face even though there was nobody around to see him. Why, he wondered, was he even worried about such things at all? Had he forgotten whom he was thinking about? There wasn't a single person on Weyard who was more understanding than Mia. She wouldn't think less of him, not if all he did was make some silly mistake.

With that thought in mind, he felt the euphoria return in full force, and once again he found his mind drifting to the events of last night, drifting back to that first kiss that had set off this flood of warmth and pleasure inside him. He only hoped that Mia would come outside soon. Maybe, if the gods smiled on him and she came out to meet him now, he could have a good half-hour alone with her before Garet and Ivan came and—

"Hi," a soft, shy voice suddenly came from behind him.

The sudden voice surprised Isaac, breaking him out of his thoughts. Unlike last night, however, this time Isaac didn't need to look behind him to know who was speaking. By the elements... even the sound of her voice was enough to set his heart racing.

He turned around slowly, and even though he knew Mia was there behind him, he couldn't help but feel a little pang of warmth cross his heart as his eyes came to rest upon her. Her long azure hair was back up in its usual ponytail, and she was now clad in her pale blue dress instead of her rather revealing nightgown, but the smile on her face was the same one she had shown him last night—small, fond, full of nothing but affection, and yet at the same time shy and reserved, as though she were meeting him for the first time. She was blushing faintly, but her eyes were still sparkling with happiness, and when combined with that smile Isaac couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

She smiled a little wider as his eyes met hers, and for a moment Isaac was seized by a powerful urge to step forward and kiss her right then and there. But even as he thought that, a flicker of uncertainty flitted across his mind. It was a small thing, barely even worth worrying about, but nevertheless it was enough to make him check his step and ask himself: would that really be the right thing to do?

Unfortunately, he didn't have any time to think about it, as Mia was waiting for him to respond. "Hey," he replied softly, giving her a small, fond smile to match hers as he tried to push away his thoughts. "You sleep well?"

She shrugged, her blush deepening as her gaze fell momentarily to the deck. "As well as I could," she responded almost sheepishly, looking up. "It was... kind of hard to sleep after last night, to be honest."

Isaac's smile grew slightly at that, her words sending a thrill of happiness through his body. Not just because she was just as happy about the events of last night as he was, but because her words made him realize once again that yes, it was really true, _she loved him_. "I know what you mean," he replied softly.

Mia grinned, but said nothing. And in the short silence that followed, Isaac could feel that powerful urge to kiss her slowly return. But with it came that flicker of uncertainty again, that same faint nervousness that he might be doing something wrong. After all, how could he know whether Mia wanted him to kiss her at this very moment? It was easy to _tell_ himself that she would understand if he did something foolish, but it was another thing entirely to actually test that theory. What was he supposed to do? What did people in these sorts of relationships normally do, anyway?

His thoughts were stopped, however, when Mia stepped forward, slowly making her way to where he was standing. For an instant Isaac thought she was going to make the first move and kiss him herself, but she stepped to his side instead, taking a place on the railing next to him. Much like she had last night, she leaned out towards the waters, watching the sparkles from the sunlight dance along the waves. She was silent for a moment, but just as Isaac was about to say something, she opened her mouth and spoke first.

"It's funny," she said softly without looking at him, a small, almost embarrassed smile on her face. "I woke up this morning, and I was absolutely convinced that... that everything that happened last night was just a dream."

He couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a bit of the nervousness drain out of him as another thrill of happiness shot through his body. "Actually, ah..." he responded slowly, giving her an embarrassed smile to match hers, "I felt that way, too."

Mia smiled a little wider at those words, closing her eyes in a way that made her look so blissfully content that Isaac could swear he could actually feel the happiness radiating from her. Then she turned to him, still with that wonderful smile on her face, and more than ever Isaac just wanted to kiss her again. She just looked so utterly _beautiful_, smiling like that, that he was finding it very hard to resist. But still the faint nervousness held him back, preventing him from acting on his impulse. After what had happened last night, he knew there was nothing left to fear, but still... what was he supposed to do?

When he had kissed her last night it had been completely out of instinct, without any conscious thought on his behalf. But now that that magical moment had ended and he was able to think clearly again, he had to wonder whether it was the right thing to do at this moment. There was no doubt in his mind that she would appreciate any gesture of affection he made, that she felt just as strongly for him as he did for her. But at the same time... despite how witty and playful she could sometimes be around him, Isaac knew that at heart Mia was a shy, delicate girl. And he didn't want to frighten or embarrass her by doing something she didn't want, not when he still didn't know what sort of things she was comfortable with.

But then, he wondered, how was he supposed to figure that out? Regardless of how she felt about him, regardless of how easily he knew he could talk with her about anything, that wasn't the sort of thing you could just come out and ask someone about. But abruptly he was broken out of his thoughts as he felt something soft and warm brush against his hand. He looked down, and found that Mia had gently taken one of his hands in hers, holding it gingerly, as though afraid she might hurt him somehow if she applied any pressure at all. She looked up at him then, smiling fondly, but with a shy, almost hesitant look on her face, and an inquisitive glint in her crystal-blue eyes. She didn't say anything, but it seemed to Isaac that she was waiting for his reaction to her gesture, waiting for him to tell her whether or not what she was doing was okay.

And suddenly Isaac realized that he was not the only one nervous about this new relationship.

Strangely, though, that knowledge seemed to comfort him. Had she _not_ been nervous, had she been confident and appeared to know exactly what she was doing, then it probably would have made things worse, probably would have made him more afraid of breaking some unwritten rule he didn't know about. But to see that look in her eyes, to know that she was probably just as nervous as he was... it made a little of the uncertainty melt away. She couldn't get too upset with him for doing something wrong, not when she was doubtlessly afraid of doing the very same thing.

With that thought he smiled back at her, wordlessly telling her that it was all right. In response she smiled a little wider, her eyes filled with a rainbow of affectionate feelings as she moved her other arm and gently clasped his hand in both of hers. It was such a simple gesture, nothing compared to the kisses they had shared last night, and yet it filled Isaac with so much of the very same warmth and tingling feelings of joy that it surprised him. And as he stared at her there, at her crystal-blue eyes that sparkled with happiness, and at that beautiful smile of hers that said so much more than any words ever could... he couldn't help but feel that first powerful impulse to kiss her slowly diminishing. Not because he didn't want to kiss her, but because he realized he didn't need to. Sol, just seeing her smile like that was enough to bring back all the happiness he had felt last night and more.

However... it still wasn't enough to extinguish that tiny flicker of nervousness within him, still didn't answer the one question that lay in the back of his mind. There was only one way he could do that, he knew, and that was to ask her directly. And as vague and silly as the question sounded in his head, he knew he had to ask it, not just because he wanted to hear her answer, but because he had to know if there was even an answer at all.

Nevertheless, it was still a little embarrassing. Chuckling awkwardly, his eyes fell to the deck without his control. "So..." he began after a moment, very quietly, before looking up and meeting her eyes again, his cheeks slightly pink. "... What happens now?"

Mia, however, did not reply immediately. Instead, smiling all the while, she dropped her gaze to his outstretched hand, which she was still holding in both of hers. She stared at it for a moment, then slowly, gently started to caress the back of his hand with her thumb, a tender gesture that sent shivers down his spine. "... I don't know," she finally responded softly, shyly. "I've..." She looked up then, the faint blush on her face only making her appear all the more beautiful in Isaac's eyes. "I've never been in a relationship like this before."

It didn't answer his question, but Isaac still couldn't help but feel a little twirl of happiness as she said that. To know that he was the first boy she had ever fallen for, to know that she was willing to share this first experience with him and him alone... it filled him with a sense of joy and pride that he couldn't explain. "Really?" he whispered back, genuinely surprised.

Mia only smiled wider at that, a giggle escaping her as her blush deepened considerably. "Yeah..." she replied softly, her eyes on his hand again. Then, seeming to realize something, she looked up quickly. "That's... not a problem, though, right?" she asked. She seemed to know the answer already, but Isaac couldn't help but think that she looked just the slightest bit nervous.

"No, no, it's not a problem," he reassured her with a small chuckle, his free hand reaching up to sheepishly scratch the back of his neck as the nervous glint in Mia's eyes melted into one of relief. "I guess I'm just... kind of surprised, that's all."

"Surprised?" Mia asked, now with a somewhat playful look in her crystal-blue eyes, as though unable to tell if he was being serious or not. "Why's that?"

"Well..." The words were already on the tip of his tongue, but the playful look in her eyes made him hesitate for a fraction of a second. Yet he knew there was no reason for him to hesitate anymore, not after what had happened last night, not now that he knew how she felt about him. His cheeks reddening, he smiled at her almost shyly, and he whispered, completely honestly, "... You're an amazing girl, Mia."

In truth, he wanted to say more than just that. He wanted to tell her that he was positively astonished she had never had a boyfriend before, wanted to tell her that with her kindness and beauty it was a wonder she hadn't had the boys in Imil chasing after her for years. But he couldn't get any further, as the stunned look that appeared on her face as he said those words shocked him into silence, sending his brain into a sudden panic. Had he said something wrong? Why was she looking at him like that?

The fear lasted only for a moment, however, because a second later the stunned look on her face melted into a smile. It was small at first, but it grew quickly, and before he knew it she was smiling at him more warmly than she had ever done in the entire time that they had been traveling together. Her crystal-blue eyes sparkled with happiness as she stared back at him, seeming unable to think of anything to say. It reminded him of a certain conversation he had had with her outside the Suhalla, of that magical smile she had shown him when he had told her she was beautiful. And it filled his body with the very same happiness he had felt that day, filled his body with a warmth and love for her that rivaled even the sensations he had felt last night.

"Isaac..." Mia whispered after a moment, and as she said his name Isaac stopped thinking. She leaned forward just the slightest bit then, her eyelids fluttering, her head tilting slightly, but stopped, hesitating for a fraction of a second. It hardly mattered, however, as realizing what she was going to do, Isaac leaned forward just as she did again, and their lips met in a long kiss.

Yet it was not like the forceful kisses they had exchanged last night, full of the passion and pressure of the feelings they had kept bottled up inside for so long. The kiss they shared now was tender, soft, filled with nothing but affection. Her arms snaked up around his neck, and his arms encircled her waist, but there was no powerful feeling of desire that erupted from the contact, no wild urge to pull her close and press her body against his as there had been last night. Instead their bodies seemed to melt together, completing each other in such a way that made Isaac feel like the gods had designed them to do just that. And even though his eyes were closed, even though he couldn't see her face, somehow Isaac knew that Mia was feeling the exact same thing.

Those were the best kind of kisses, Isaac would later decide. The kind that didn't happen out of routine, but rather out of the pure love he and Mia held for each other. The kind that he never saw coming, and that swept him off his feet with surprise. The kind that involved no conscious thought whatsoever, but rather just _happened_ out of some indescribable instinct that he knew he and Mia both had but that he could never fathom. Those were the kind that made him happiest, and the kind that made him realize again and again just how much he loved the shy, gentle healer from Imil.

Even when they finally drew apart, Isaac could still feel the euphoria coursing through him. And he knew Mia was feeling the same, because the smile on her face was filled with such happiness and affection—and it was all for him, he realized again, _all for him_—that it made him feel like his heart was going to burst.

Sol, she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

They stayed like that for some time, their arms still around each other, neither of them speaking, just smiling. They could have said those three little words to each other, could have kissed each other again, but what need was there for words, or even for actions? The only thing Isaac truly cared about at that moment was the fact that Mia was there, with him, in his arms. Everything else—Garet and Ivan, their quest, even the very world around them... it all just seemed so _irrelevant_ with her there.

But eventually, of course, their blissful moment had to come to an end. It was Mia who finally broke the silence, smiling a little wider as she reached forward and tucked a stray piece of blond hair behind his ear. "You know..." she whispered, her cheeks reddening slightly, "... You're a pretty amazing person yourself."

Those simple words struck Isaac speechless—Mia had _never_ complimented him like that before. "I-I... you really think so?" he managed to stammer out lamely, though he continued to smile.

At that Mia let out a short little laugh, her crystal-blue eyes twinkling. "Oh, Isaac," she began, "you are _so_—"

But how Mia was going to complete her sentence, Isaac would never find out, for at that moment a voice suddenly spoke up from beside him, one of the very last voices he had wanted to hear this morning.

"_We-e-ell_, what have we here?" It was Ivan, his words practically dripping with smugness.

Isaac and Mia both started at the sudden intrusion, their happy daze shattered in an instant. Reluctantly, both of them flushing red, they turned their heads to where Ivan's voice had come from, their arms still around each other. They found both Garet and the Jupiter Adept staring back at them, both of them with their arms crossed over their chests and smug grins on their faces that would have put Saturos and Menardi to shame. "It's about damned time!" Garet declared triumphantly as Isaac's eyes met his. "We were starting to think you two would _never_ get together!"

Strangely, though, despite his embarrassment, Isaac didn't feel any impulse to look away from his friends' smug expressions, or even to disengage his arms from around Mia's waist. True, he probably could have chosen a better time for Garet and Ivan to show up, but deep down he had known a confrontation like this was coming all morning. He let go of Mia then, but it was only to get a better look at his friends, not because he truly wanted to. "Hey guys," he replied softly, smiling faintly, abashedly.

Scarcely had the words left his mouth when Garet spoke up again. "Okay, tell me now," he commanded, a huge, mischievous grin on his face. "How long have you been hiding this from us?"

"Garet..." Mia's voice held a tone of slight exasperation, and when Isaac turned to look at her he found her blushing, but she was smiling faintly as well, seemingly having foreseen this interrogation as much as he had. Nevertheless, she wasn't about to just let Garet and Ivan have their fun. "Is this _really_ the time for—"

"You're damn right it's the time!" Garet cut her off, still grinning widely. "Me and Ivan have been waiting for this for _three months_—I _think_ we have the right to know how this happened without either of us noticing!"

"Garet, come on," Isaac pleaded, his faint smile fading. Truthfully, a small part of him wanted to tell Garet and Ivan every detail of what had happened last night, but it didn't really seem like the right moment to do so—especially since Mia was still right next to him. "Can't we talk about this some other time?"

"Oh no," Garet unsurprisingly replied, his expression smug again. "You're not getting out of this one that—"

"Garet, wait," Ivan suddenly spoke up, surprising the other three Adepts. When Garet turned to look at him, he explained, "He does kind of have a point."

Garet raised an eyebrow incredulously at that, and Isaac couldn't blame him—he was just as surprised by Ivan's words as his friend was. "He does?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Ivan replied. He paused for a moment, and relief settled in Isaac's heart for an instant before the Jupiter Adept turned to him and Mia, his expression slowly melting into a rather suggestive grin. "I mean, we did interrupt their, ah... _private_ moment."

Isaac blushed horribly at that, but managed to keep his composure. "Ivan, no," he said firmly, frowning. "It's not like th—"

"No no, you don't have to explain, I understand," Ivan interrupted as he held up a hand to silence him, his expression not changing in the slightest. He turned to Garet, who now had an identical grin plastered across his face. "Come on, Garet," he said, nodding his head towards Isaac and Mia. "Let's give these two some time alone."

"Ivan..." Isaac protested again, but the Jupiter Adept appeared not to have heard him. Instead, he and Garet simply turned and made their way back below decks, leaving the other two Adepts behind. For a long moment, Isaac stared at the doorway his friends had gone through, frowning. Then, finally, he let out a sigh, shaking his head. Was that really what Ivan and Garet thought about them? He and Mia had only found out their feelings for each other last night, it wasn't like they were immediately going to...

When he turned to look at Mia, however, he was surprised to find her grinning amusedly at him. At the sight he couldn't help but smile back faintly, even though he had no idea what she was grinning about. "What's so funny?" he asked.

She chuckled slightly at that, her grin widening. "Oh, come on," she responded, stepping towards him. "You can't tell me you didn't see that one coming."

Isaac rolled his eyes, letting out another exasperated sigh. "Yeah, I guess," he replied as Mia reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, seemingly without even thinking. In response he placed his arms around her waist again, her actions all the encouragement he would ever need. "Do you think they knew this was going to happen, though?" he asked, his face a faint pink. "... They did say they were waiting for us to get together."

Mia blushed faintly at that as well, her gaze falling slightly. "... I think they knew," she quietly replied after a moment, before looking up at him, a shy but nevertheless fond smile on her face. "I mean..." She blushed deeper. "To be honest... I fell for you a long time ago."

Another little burst of happiness flew through his body as she said those words. "Well..." he whispered back, smiling warmly at her, "what do we do now? I mean..." He knew it was silly to be nervous about this, but he still couldn't help his eyes falling to the deck for an instant before returning to her eyes. "... I've never been in a relationship like this before, either."

Yet his words only appeared to make Mia happier, her small, shy smile widening. She stared at him for a moment, seeming to think about how to answer his question, and then suddenly, for seemingly no reason at all, she leaned forward and placed a light, chaste kiss on his lips. When she pulled back her face was a brilliant red, but her smile never once wavered. "I guess we'll just have to figure it out ourselves, then," she replied, very quietly.

"Yeah..." Isaac softly responded, his head still spinning from her kiss. "... I guess we will."

She was right, of course. She was always right. Why, he wondered, was he even so worried about the future in the first place? What would happen between him and Mia in the days to come, he didn't know, but no matter what happened... she would be there, by his side. She had always been there, a person to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, a source of light and warmth when everything else seemed dark. And she would be there as they moved forward, helping him and guiding him through this new situation that neither of them understood, just as he would be there to help her. Perhaps he and Mia had never been in a relationship before... but they would figure it out, together. He knew they would.

"But as for now..." Isaac added after a few moments, suddenly grinning mischievously. "What was that you were saying before? Something about me being an amazing person?"

She laughed, her crystal-blue eyes twinkling. "And so modest, too," she remarked playfully, before leaning forward and capturing him in another long kiss.

_The End _

* * *

Relationships, as amazing as they can be, can sometimes also be rather nerve-wracking things, especially at first. At least for me, there's always a strange sense of caution when a relationship begins, a desire to not do anything rash, to keep hold of this new and wonderful thing that has just come into your life. I tried to show this with Isaac's faint nervousness in this chapter, and I hope I did a good job. Let me know what you think.

To be honest, I also wanted to do things from Mia's perspective as well, to show the feelings that she has been going through after the events of the last chapter. But when I started to write that, I realized that pretty much everything I had to say about her was more or less redundant, considering that she and Isaac are basically feeling the same thing. There's only so many ways you can say a person is happy before it starts to drag on, after all. Instead I tried to have her feelings come out in her actions this chapter, and to show her emotions without needing to get inside her head. I hope you guys won't mind too much, but as always, let me know in your reviews.

But yeah... it's done. It's taken 16 chapters, 85,000 words, and nearly two years, but _The Angel and the Slayer_ is finally complete. I've definitely enjoyed the ride, and I hope you have too, but I've got to say it feels pretty damn good to finally have this story over and done with. The task of finishing this story has been hanging over my head for quite awhile now, and it's nice to finally be able to move on to other things.

So like Isaac, I suppose you all must now be wondering: what happens now? Where do I go, now that the story that has taken over my writing career for the past twenty-two months is at an end? Well, the answer is, I really don't know. My main problem now, as I'm sure you've all noticed, is that my update rate has basically gone down the drain with the past few chapters. And though I've really been trying not to admit it to myself, the fact remains that I really don't have as much time to write as I used to. There's just so much happening in my life now, with school, and friends, and jobs, and love, and so much other stuff, that it's become very difficult for me to write on a regular basis. Hell, even setting a deadline for myself ended up blowing up in my face. I just have that much stuff to worry about.

But does that mean I'm going to stop writing now? Hell no! Writing's a part of who I am, and I'm not going to give it up anytime soon. But the first thing I need to do, I think, is take a nice, long break from writing fanfiction. Rest assured, I will be back! But I need to make sure the rest of my life is in order before I start to write again, and I hope that's something you guys understand.

Nevertheless, during this break, I don't want to lose contact with you guys who have stuck by and kept with this story for such a long time. So while I may not be writing actively, feel free to talk to me through PM, or instant messenger, or hell, you can even Facebook friend me if you want (PM me for the link to that). And as always, until next time...

Please review!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


End file.
